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THE 


SMALL    EEUIT    CULTURIST. 


BY 


ANDREW    S.    FULLER, 

•  * 

PRACTICAL  HOKTICULTURIST,  RIDGEWOOD.  BERGEN  CO..  B.  J. 


BEAUTIFULLY    II.L.USTRATESD. 


NEW-YORK: 

ORANGE    JUDD    &    COMPACT 
245    BROADWAY. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 
ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO. 

At  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New-York. 


LOVEJOY  &  SON, 

BLBCTBOTYPEBS  AND  STEBEOTYPEBS. 
15  Vandewater  street  N.  Y. 


etc 


PREFACE. 


With  the  extended  cultivation  of  the  small  fruits  in  the 
past  few  years,  there  has  arisen  a  demand  for  practical  in- 
formation, not  only  from  the  professional  cultivator,  but  the 
amateur ;  and,  in  fact,  every  one  who  owns  a  rod  of  ground 
in  city  or  country,  wishes  to  know  how  to  cultivate  small 
fruits,  and  what  kinds  to  plant,  either  for  home  use  or 
market.  Thus  far  no  work,  devoted  exclusively  to  this 
branch  of  horticulture,  has  been  presented  to  the  public. 

The  results  of  the  experiments  and  observations  of  culti- 
vators in  distant  localities  have  not  heretofore  been  gath- 
ered together,  and  what  little  information  has  been  given 
is  scattered  through  a  thousand  volumes,  utterly  inaccess- 
ible to  the  great  masses  of  the  people.  To  meet  the  wants 
of  this  numerous  and  rapidly  increasing  class,  this  little 
work  has  been  prepared.  The  facts  herein  given  are,  in 
part,  the  results  of  personal  observation  and  experience, 
extending  over  a  long  period  of  years.  All  of  the  vari- 
eties recommended  have  been  tested  by  myself,  and  it  has 
been  my  aim  to  give  whatever  information  I  possessed  re- 
lating to  them,  in  language  that  might  be  understood  by 
the  novice  in  these  matters,  as  well  as  the  professional  hor- 
ticulturist. I  have  not  presumed  to  give  rules  or  advice 
that  may  be  implicitly  relied  upon  in  all  sections  of  the 
country,  because  there  are  many  things  relating  to  the 
culture  of  fruits  that  can  only  be  learned  by  personal, 
3 


IV  PREFACE. 

local  experience.  Neither  have  I  any  apologies  to  make 
for  sending  forth  this  little  work  on  its  mission,  for  it  has 
not  been  written  to  gratify  any  personal  ambition,  but  to 
supply  that  which  my  extended  correspondence  for  years 
.past  has  shown  to  be  an  indispensable  necessity.  Thous- 
ands of  inquiries  are  addressed  to  me,  orally  and  by  letter, 
every  year,  for  information  relating  to  small  fruit  culture, 
until  the  tax  upon  my  time  has  become  so  serious  as  to  inter- 
fere with  other  duties.  To  meet  these  inquiries,  and  throw 
what  little  light  I  could  upon  the  subject,  has  been  my 
only  object,  and  whether  success  has  crowned  my  efforts, 
or  otherwise,  the  public  will  decide. 

To  the  many  gentlemen  who  have  so  kindly  and  gratui- 
tously sent  me  specimens  of  plants  of  the  new  fruits  in 
years  past,  I  return  my  sincere  thanks,  hoping  that  they 
will  not  judge  too  harshly  if  I  have  not  thought  proper  to 
praise  certain  varieties  as  highly  as  they  may  think  they 
deserve.  It  is  such  a  difficult  task  to  decide  which  are 
really  the  best,  where  there  are  so  many  that  are  good, 
that  I  have  preferred  to  err,  if  at  all,  in  not  overrating  the 
merits  of  particular  varieties,  rather  than  to  paint  in  glow- 
ing terms  those  which  may  have  appeared  to  me  as  deserv- 
ing of  such  commendation.  To  Chas.  Downing  I  am  parti- 
cularly indebted,  for  plants  of  a  great  number  of  the  small 
fruits,  both  old  and  new,  many  of  which  it  is  doubtful  if  I 
could  have  procured  elsewhere,  as  some  had  become  almost 
obsolete. 

Hoping  that  this  little  work  will  be  as  kindly  received 
by  the  public  as  it  is  given  by  the  author,  and  that  it  will 
assist  in  creating  a  desire  for  more  extended  knowledge 
upon  the  subject,  until  a  more  able  pen  shall  be  employed 
upon  it,  is  the  wish  of 

ANDREW  S.  FULLEB. 
Ridgetiood,  N.  «7.,  April  25th,  1867. 


C  O  NTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION 7 

CHAPTER        L— BARBERRY SO 

CHAPTER       H.— STRAWBERRY 31 

CHAPTER     HI.— RASPBERRY 114 

CHAPTER     IV.— BLACKBERRY 168 

CHAPTER       V.— DWARF   CHERRY ,...183 

CHAPTER     VI.— CURRANT 186 

CHAPTER    VH.— GOOSEBERRY 214 

CHAPTER  Vin.— CORNELIAN    CHERRY 225 

CHAPTER     IX.— CRANBERRY 231 

CHAPTER       X.— HUCKLEBERRY 246 

CHAPTER     XI.-SHEPERDIA 251 

CHAPTER   XH.— PREPARATION  FOR  GATHERING  FRUIT 255 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  only  within  a  comparatively  recent  period  that  the 
Small  Fruits  have  been  considered  of  sufficient  importance 
to  command  the  attention  and  call  forth  the  energies  of 
the  skillful  horticulturist.  From  all  the  information  we 
can  gather  from  history,  we  infer  that,  with  the  single  ex- 
ception of  the  grape,  very  few  of  the  small  fruits  common 
at  present,  were  cultivated  or  known  in  ancient  times. 

Those  that  are  mentioned  in  ancient  history  are  named 
only  in  connection  with  some  wild  legend  of  field  or 
forest,  rendering  it  apparent  that  their  cultivation  and  im- 
provement were  left  for  the  people  of  a  more  progressive 
age.  The  earlier  English  and  French  authors  have  very 
little  to  say  in  regard  to  the  berries,  and  so  late  as  1600 
there  appear  to  have  been  no  improved  varieties  of  the 
currant  or  gooseberry,  and  both  were  supposed  to  be  only 
varieties  of  the  same  species. 

We  have  only  to  look  back  a  very  few  years  to  ascer- 
tain all  that  has  been  done  in  cultivating  and  improving 
these  fruits.  In  former  times  nature,  without  the  assist- 
ance of  man,  supplied  most  of  the  small  fruits  in  quanti- 
ties adequate  to  the  demand,  and  of  such  a  quality  as  to 
satisfy  uncultivated  tastes.  But  of  late  years  the  increase 
of  population  has  been  so  rapid  that  the  supply  from  the 
woods  and  fields  has  not  been  equal  to  the  requirements 


8  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

of  the  markets,  while  at  the  same  time  a  demand  for  some- 
thing better  has  arisen.  Hence  the  necessity  for  assisting 
nature  in  her  efforts  to  unfold  the  many  useful  fruits  which 
remain  hidden  until  touched  by  the  skillful  hand  of  science. 

So  soon  as  our  horticulturists  began  to  cultivate  the 
small  fruits,  they  became  aware  of  their  before  unknown 
merits,  and  eagerly  sought  every  means  of  developing 
them  to  the  extent  of  their  capabilities.  These  efforts 
have  been  immensely  successful  in  producing  new  and  bet- 
ter varieties,  which,  becoming  known  to  the  public,  have 
so  largely  increased  the  demand  that  all  attempts  to  fully 
supply  the  markets  have  been  inadequate. 

The  progress  of  fruit-culture  in  the  United  States  is 
probably  more  apparent  than  in  other  countries,  for  we 
have  only  to  go  back  to  a  period  within  the  memory  of 
horticulturists  still  living  to  ascertain  nearly  every  fact  in 
regard  to  its  history ;  ask  any  of  our  older  horticulturists 
concerning  the  markets  of  forty  years  ago,  and  they  will 
tell  us  that  there  were  no  Hovey  or  Wilson  Strawberries 
offered  for  sale  in  those  days ;  no  Cherry  or  White  Grape 
Currants ;  no  Dorchester  or  New  Rochelle  Blackberries ; 
but  that  they  were  wholly  supplied  with  berries  from  the 
woods  and  uncultivated  fields. 

During  the  last  ten  years  we  have  made  more  progress 
in  small  fruit-culture  than  in  thirty  years  before,  and,  not- 
withstanding this  progress,  we  now  find  that  we  have 
scarcely  begun  to  cultivate  them  intelligently. 

The  cause  of  our  advancement  is,  in  a  great  measure, 
due  to  the  dissemination  of  information  upon  the  subject 
through  the  horticultural  and  agricultural  press.  It  is  by 
reading  these  that  the  masses  have  learned  where  to  obtain 
the  plants  they  desire  and  how  to  cultivate  them.  Thus, 
by  having  a  medium  through  which  both  parties  are  ben- 
efited, trade  is  augmented  and  progress  made  more  certain. 

Originators  of  new  varieties  are  stimulated  to  greater 
exertions,  knowing  that,  if  successful,  they  will  be  amply 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

rewarded.  It  is  true  that  there  is  a  limit  to  progress  in 
particular  directions,  but,  when  this  point  has  been  reach- 
ed, it  is  easy  to  retrace  our  steps  and  move  in  another 
channel.  The  facilities  for  procuring  and  distributing 
plants  are,  at  the  present  time,  far  superior  to  those  of  any 
former  period.  Our  railroads  have  penetrated  to  far  dis- 
tant portions  of  our  country,  thereby  affording  a  rapid 
and  safe  transmission  for  many  of  the  more  delicate  plants, 
which,  a  few  years  since,  could  not  safely  be  transported 
by  land  to  any  considerable  distance.  Added  to  this,  are 
the  facilities  which  our  Post-office  Department  offer  for 
sending  plants,  cuttings  and  seeds,  through  the  mail, 
charging  at  the  rate  of  only  half  a  cent  per  ounce,  and 
allowing  packages  of  four  pounds  weight  to  be  carried, 
thereby  affording  the  settlers  in  the  newer  portions  of  the 
country  as  well  as  those  located  away  from  the  lines  of 
railroads  and  other  commercial  thoroughfares  an  oppor- 
tunity of  obtaining  plants  and  seeds,  at  a  small  cost  for 
transportation,  which,  under  other  circumstances,  could 
not  in  any  way  be  procured.  These  advantages,  which  the 
horticulturists  of  the  present  day  possess  over  those  of 
former  years,  stimulate  them  to  exertion,  and  hundreds 
of  acres  are  now  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  small 
fruits  where  there  were  not  fifty  ten  years  ago;  still 
prices  average  higher  than  formerly,  and  the  demand  in- 
creases more  rapidly  than  the  supply.  The  great  amount 
of  fruit  used  at  present,  far  surpassing  that  of  former 
times,  cannot  be  attributed  wholly  to  the  increase  in  pop- 
ulation, as  that  has  not  been  in  proportion  to  the  increased 
quantity  of  fruit  consumed. 

The  introduction  and  almost  general  use  of  fruit  pre 
serving  cans  have  afforded  the  people  an  opportunity  of  ob- 
taining an  uninterrupted  supply  of  choice  fruits,  regardless 
of  time  or  season.  Thousands  of  bushels  are  annually  pre- 
served for  home  use  by  families,  both  in  country  and  city. 
One  may  step  into  any  of  our  restaurants — even  when  the 
1* 


10  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

snow  covers  the  fields  and  with  the  thermometer  at  zero — 
and  call  for  a  dish  of  strawberries  and  cream,  and  he  will 
be  supplied  as  readily  as  in  the  month  of  June.  The  fruit 
may  not  "be  quite  so  good  as  when  first  gathered  from  the 
plant,  but,  considering  the  time  of  year,  it  is  quite  accept- 
able. Not  only  do  private  families,  saloons  and  hotels 
consume  enormous  quantities  of  the  small  fruits  which 
fiave  been  preserved  in  these  hermetically  sealed  cans  and 
jars,  but  every  steamer  or  sailing  vessel  that  leaves  our 
ports  takes  with  it  a  supply  for  use  on  the  voyage,  and 
it  often  forms  a  share  of  the  freight.  We  are  not  only 
called  upon  to  produce  fruits  to  supply  the  home  de- 
mand, but  other  portions  of  the  world  which  cannot  or 
do  not  produce  them,  and  it  can  readily  be  seen  that 
it  must  be  many  years  before  anything  like  an  adequate 
quantity  can  be  produced,  even  with  the  rapid  strides 
we  are  making.  The  field  for  production  may  appear  to 
be  a  very  large  one,  still  it  is  far  less  than  that  of  con- 
sumption. It  is  not  every  location  or  soil  that  is  adapted 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  small  fruits,  neither  will  every 
variety  succeed  equally  well  on  the  same  place.  Conse- 
quently the  favorable  regions  for  particular  kinds  must 
furnish  the  people  of  other  locations ;  thus  an  exchange 
is  made  beneficial  to  both,  and  to  the  advantage  of  trade. 
The  Southern  States  produce  fruit  for  home  consumption 
and  for  sale  at  the  North,  and  vice  versa.  Different  sec- 
tions produce  different  fruits,  but  often  both  yield  the 
same,  and  yet  they  become  a  market  for  each  other. 

For  instance,  Strawberries  ripen  at  the  South  several 
weeks  before  they  do  at  the  North — we  purchase  their  pro- 
ductions so  long  as  their  supply  lasts,  or  until  our  own  be- 
gins to  ripen ;  we  can  then  send  fruit  south  where  the  crop 
has  matured  and  gone.  The  same  is  true  with  many  other 
fruits ;  those  from  warm  regions  are  shipped  to  the  cool 
ones,  and  later  in  the  season  a  return  is  made  in  kind  or 
of  some  similar  productions. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

With  a  constantly  increasing  demand,  and  no  apparent 
prospect  of  our  markets  being  fully  supplied,  it  is,  no  won- 
der that  many  have  turned  their  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  small  fruits. 

All  along  the  lines  of  our  railroads,  canals,  and  naviga- 
ble rivers,  new  villages  are  springing  up,  each  of  which 
soon  becomes  a  shipping  point  for  produce  to  the  larger 
cities  and  villages.  Many  which  did  not  exist  eight  or 
ten  years  ago,  are  now  annually  sending  to  market  a  half 
million  to  a  million  baskets  of  fruits. 

Ten  years  ago  a  nurseryman's  catalogue,  made  up  ex- 
clusively of  the  numerous  descriptions  of  small  fruits,  was 
a  rarity ;  but  at  the  present  time  they  are  quite  abundant, 
showing  that  the  propagation  of  the  plants  for  sale,  as 
well  as  the  raising  of  the  fruit,  has  become  quite  a  promi- 
nent feature  in  horticulture. 

It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  every  one  who  attempts 
the  cultivation  of  the  small  fruits  will  be  successful,  any 
more  than  that  all  will  succeed  in  any  other  business,  still 
it  must  be  admitted,  that  the  culture  of  the  leading  vari- 
eties of  this  class  offers  as  wide  and  safe  a  field  for  enter- 
prise as  is  to  be  found  in  any  other  branch  of  business 
pertaining  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil. 

Some  will  fail  because  they  obtained  varieties  unsuited 
to  their  soil  or  location,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  general  cultivation,  when  ap- 
plied to  the  whole  United  States.  Others  will  attempt 
more  than  they  are  capable  of  completing.  And  there 
are  those  who  imagine  that  all  that  is  required  is,  to  obtain 
the  plants  and  see  that  they  are  planted,  after  which  they 
can  sit  down  and  wait  for  a  bountiful  harvest.  Such  peo- 
ple are  always  disappointed,  and  it  matters  not  what  they 
undertake,  they  are  sure  to  be  unfortunate,  and  every  ex- 
periment will  end  in  failure  until  they  learn  to  labor  as 
well  as  to  wait.  Profitable  fruit-culture  cannot  result 
from  idleness  or  negligence.  Prompt,  energetic  action,  ap- 


12  SMALL  FRUIT   CTJLTURIST. 

plied  at  the  proper  time,  is  far  more  essential  with  the 
small  fruits  than  with  the  larger  ones.  An  apple  or  p'ear 
tree  will  struggle  long,  and  often  successfully,  against 
weeds,  drouth,  or  an  unsuitable  soil,  while  a  Raspberry  or 
Strawberry  plant  would  perish  in  a  week  under  similar 
circumstances.  There  is  probably  nothing  appertaining 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  which  will,  if  properly  con- 
ducted, yield  more  pleasure  or  profit  than  the  culture  of 
our  best  varieties  of  small  fruits.  Still  it  must  not  be  ex- 
pected that  there  are  no  difficulties  in  the  way,  for  there 
will  sometimes  be  early  and  late  frosts;  wet  and  dry  sea- 
sons ;  cold  winters  and  hot  summers,  and  insects  that  will 
destroy  more  rapidly  than  nature  can  restore ;  therefore 
no  one  should  attempt  the  culture  of  any  kind  of  fruit, 
unless  he  has  courage  and  perseverance  sufficient  to  meet 
and  overcome  all  the  obstacles  he  may  find  in  the  road  to 
success.  To  the  inexperienced  cultivator  these  difficulties 
may  appear  very  formidable,  yet  they  are  no  greater  than 
in  any  other  branch  of  business,  and  far  less  than  in  many. 
The  small  fruits,  as  a  class,  are  less  liable  to  be  affected  by 
disease  or  insects  than  a  majority  of  the  larger  kinds, 
and  as  many  of  them,  like  the  Raspberry  and  Blackberry, 
bloom  late  in  the  season  and  perfect  their  fruit  early,  they 
are  seldom  injured-  by  the  late  spring  frosts,  which  are 
often  so  very  destructive  to  the  Peach,  Apple,  and  other 
early  bloomers. 

To  guard  against  great  losses  it  is  best  not  to  risk  one's 
entire  capital  in  any  one  kind,  for  if  that  should  fail,  it 
would  be  ruinous.  Neither  is  it  advisable  to  cultivate  too 
great  a  variety,  for  capital,  needlessly  scattered,  is  not 
readily  gathered.  The  aim  of  the  cultivator  should  be : 
1st — To  provide  against  total  failure.  2d — Cultivate  no 
more  of  any  one  kind  than  he  can  properly  attend  to,  both 
in  cultivating  and  in  gathering  the  fruit.  3d — Provide 
for  a  succession  of  crops,  so  that  there  shall  be  an  uninter- 
rupted income,  in  preference  to  a  large  and  fluctuating 


INTRODUCTION.  .       13 

one.  Fruit-baskets,  crates,  etc.,  must  be  provided,  and 
the  capital  invested  in  these  should  not  be  allowed  to  re 
main  idle  any  longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  If  sev- 
eral kinds  are  cultivated,  commencing  with  the  Strawber- 
ry, and  followed  by  Raspberries,  Gooseberries,  Currants, 
and  Blackberries,  the  fruit-baskets  may  be  constantly  em- 
ployed for  at  least  three  months,  when  if  but  one  kind 
is  grown  their  use  will  scarcely  extend  over  as  many 
weeks.  Besides  this,  a  better  class  of  help  can  be  secured 
for  gathering  the  fruit  where  steady  employment  for  three 
months  can  be  given,  than  when  for  only  a  few  days  or 
weeks. 

The  chief  object  of  those  who  cultivate  fruit  for  mar- 
ket is  that  of  profit,  and  to  secure  the  largest  return  on 
capital  invested  requires  a  judicious  selection  of  varieties. 
The  best  in  quality  are  seldom  the  most  profitable  for 
general  market  purposes.  Usually  the  highest  flavored 
are  the  most  delicate  growers  and  quite  unproductive. 
Individual  tastes  differ — one  will  choose  a  variety  that  an- 
other will  reject.  Taste,  however,  is  changeable,  and  a 
fruit,  which  at  one  time  may  be  quite  distasteful,  will,  by 
a  constant  acquaintance,  become  very  agreeable.  Our 
markets  are  but  an  aggregation  of  individuals,  conse- 
quently they  often  change,  and  a  particular  variety  of 
fruit,  when  first  introduced,  will  find  no  purchasers, 
though  it  may  afterwards  become  exceedingly  popular. 

A  particular  color  will  often  be  the  cause  of  rejection, 
and  it  will  require  a  constant  and  persistent  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  producer  to  introduce  the  variety  and  per- 
suade the  masses  to  purchase.  A  case  in  point  is  that  of 
the  Brinckle's  Orange  Raspberry,  a  variety  which  is  ac- 
knowledged, by  connoisseurs  in  fruit,  to  be  one  of  the  very 
best  in  quality ;  still,  place  it  beside  almost  any  ordinary 
red  variety  in  any  of  the  New  York  markets,  and  not  ten 
baskets  of  it  will  be  sold  to  one  hundred  of  the  latter. 

In  other  cities  the  results  may  be  quite  the  reverse, 


14  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

which  would  only  show  that  the  masses  must  become  ac- 
quainted with  a  variety  before  they  will  freely  purchase, 
especially  if  it  differs  widely  in  appearance  from  those 
which  are  well  known.  The  public  taste  in  this  country 
has  not  as  yet  been  sufficiently  cultivated  to  discriminate 
or  select  the  very  best,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  masses 
appreciate  or  care  whether  a  fruit  is  fully  up  to  any  par- 
ticular standard  of  quality  that  scientific  horticulturists 
have  endeavored  to  establish ;  quantity  is  evidently  more 
highly  prized  than  quality,  especially  if  the  latter  is  at- 
tended by  scarcity. 

I  do  not  wish  in  these  remarks  to  convey  the  idea  that 
the  very  best  should  not  always  be  sought  for,  but  when 
their  cultivation  is  not  remunerative,  quality  alone  be- 
comes of  doubtful  advantage  to  the  producer. 

The  more  familiar  a  people  become  with  any  particular 
kind  of  fruit,  the  more  they  will  appreciate  it,  and  should 
anything  occur  to  deprive  them  of  a  supply,  they  will  feel 
the  loss  very  keenly.  Small  fruit-culture  has  already  be- 
come quite  a  prominent  feature  in  American  horticulture, 
and  every  possible  means  should  be  employed,  not  only  to 
keep  up  the  supply,  but  to  increase  it,  so  that  it  shall 
equal  the  demand. 

Heretofore  its  production  has  been  mainly  local ;  that  is, 
a  particular  neighborhood  has  made  a  specialty  of  grow- 
ing some  one  or  more  kinds  that  have  been  found  to  be 
adapted  to  the  location  and  soil. 

Fruit-growers  in  other  sections,  having  tried  the  same 
variety  or  varieties,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  not  finding 
their  culture  remunerative,  have  discarded  them.  Instead 
of  doing  this,  they  should  have  tried  to  produce  new  va- 
rieties that  would  succeed;  or,  endeavored  to  procure 
from  among  the  many  already  known,  some  kind  that  was 
adapted  to  their  particular  soil  and  location.  It  is  well 
known  to  every  experienced  horticulturist  that  certain 
species,  and  all  the  varieties  produced  therefrom,  fail  in 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

some  locations  and  soils,  while  other  species  and  their  va- 
rieties, although  of  the  same  genus,  will  succeed  most  ad- 
mirably. These  peculiarities  of  species  have  given  rise 
to  much  discussion  among  fruit-growers.  One  will  assert, 
for  instance,  that  the  Raspberry  is  a  total  failure  in  his 
section,  and  that  it  cannot  be  grown,  which  may  be  true 
in  regard  to  a  particular  kind  or  class,  but  no  farther. 
There  is  probably  no  soil  in  our  whole  country,  unless  it 
be  under  water  or  totally  barren,  in  which  some  one  or 
more  kinds  of  small  fruits  may  not  be  profitably  grown. 
The  great  desideratum  is,  to  determine  which  they  are, 
and  the  people  are  looking  to  experimenters  to  furnish  the 
required  information. 

This  is  being  given  through  various  mediums  that  are 
accessible  to  all,  and  the  rapidly  extending  culture  of  this 
class  of  fruits  shows  very  clearly  that  the  knowledge 
gained  is  put  to  practical  use.  The  dissemination  of  sim- 
ple facts,  which  are  frequently  conveyed  in  a  single  word 
or  line,  is  often  of  more  value  than  a  learned  and  elabo- 
rate essay. 

We  sometimes  observe  in  nurserymen's  catalogues,  re- 
ferring to  a  particular  variety,  a  simple  remark  like  this  : 
"  succeeds  admirably  with  me  in  a  light  sandy,  clayey,  or 
loamy  soil,"  as  the  case  may  be,  thereby  giving  a  key  to 
the  secret  of  his  success  and  the  failure  of  others. 

There  was  a  time  in  the  history  of  horticulture  when 
secrets  were  a  merchantable  commodity,  and  the  particular 
methods  of  propagation  and  culture  were  transferred  from 
one  gardener  to  another  for  a  consideration.  But  those 
days  are  past,  for  the  true  horticulturist  of  the  present 
day  keeps  no  secrets  that  will  benefit  mankind,  but  hast- 
ens to  give  to  the  world  the  advantages  which  may  arise 
from  any  discovery  he  makes,  receiving  in  return  that 
which  is  of  more  lasting  value  than  money :  the  thanks 
of  his  co-laborers.  It  is  true,  that  occasionally  a  man  can 
be  found  so  blind  to  his  own  interest  and  reputation,  and 


16  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

BO  selfishly  mean,  as  to  desire  to  keep  to  himself  any  process 
by  which  he  thinks  he  can  surpass  his  neighbors,  and  tax 
the  public  for  his  own  benefit ;  but  such  is  the  estimation 
in  which  these  men  are  held  by  a  large  majority  of  horti- 
culturists, and  so  readily  is  their  meanness  discovered  by 
their  customers,  that  they  are  very  soon  obliged  either  to 
retire  from  business  and  seek  some  other  less  honorable 
occupation,  or  eke  out  a  miserable  existence  supported 
by  the  patronage  of  a  class  no  better  than  themselves. 

The  laws  of  nature  should  be  secrets  to  none,  and  he 
who  would  deny  others  the  knowledge  of  any  important 
discovery  in  horticultural  processes,  would,  if  he  were 
able,  have  the  blessed  sunshine  and  showers  shut  out  from 
every  field  but  his.  It  is  to  the  constant  interchange  of 
facts,  derived  from  experience,  that  we  owe  much  of  our 
progress  in  horticulture.  To  know  the  different  varieties, 
so  that  one  can  name  them  at  sight,  does  not  constitute, 
as  some  may  suppose,  all  the  knowledge  requisite  to  en- 
able one  to  cultivate  them  successfully. 

Their  adaptation  to  the  various  soils,  locations,  and 
climate ;  the  best  mode  of  cultivation,  propagation,  prun- 
ing; whether  the  fruit  is  firm  or  fragile,  rendering  it  more 
suitable  for  market  or  home  use  —  these  and  many  other 
points  must  be  understood  before  one  can  safely  go  into 
small  fruit-culture  on  an  extensive  scale.  There  has  been 
much  discussion  as  to  whether  a  constant  cultivation  of 
the  soil  was  necessary  to  produce  remunerative  results 
from  growing  the  apple,  peach,  pear,  and  kindred  fruits. 
There  is,  perhaps,  some  reason  in  particular  cases  for 
an  apparent  neglect,  such  as  excessive  growth,  which 
may  be  checked  by  non-cultivation  more  readily  than  oth- 
erwise. But  with  the  fruits,  of  which  we  shall  treat  in 
the  following  pages,  there  are  no  exceptions  to  the  rule — 
the  better  the  care,  the  more  remunerative  the  results.  By 
bestowing  the  best  of  care,  we  will  not  only  obtain  better 
returns,  but  they  will  be  in  an  increased  ratio  to  the  amount 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

of  labor  bestowed.  In  many  instances,  with  an  annual 
expenditure  of  twenty-five  dollars  per  acre,  a  return  of 
only  one  hundred  is  obtained,  while  upon  the  same  soil 
and  with  the  same  variety,  if  fifty  dollars  had  been  ex- 
pended, the  return  would  have  been  three  or  four  hundred. 
All  experiments  show  that  extra  culture  is  far  more  prof- 
itable than  what  is  generally  termed  good  culture.  I  do 
not  mean  by  this  that  it  is  necessary  to  trench  the  soil 
four  feet  deep,  and  apply  a  thousand  loads  of  manure  per 
acre  to  a  soil  which  is  naturally  deep  and  rich ;  but  that 
deep  plowing  and  subsoiling  should  be  employed,  with  a 
liberal  supply  of  enriching  materials,  if  the  best  results 
are  to  be  obtained.  But  few  of  those  who  are  called 
good  cultivators  are  aware  of  the  large  increase  of  fruit 
which  may  be  produced  on  an  acre  by  giving  extra  cul- 
ture, instead  of  the  ordinary  method.  Many  fruit-grow- 
ers, for  the  purpose  of  extending  their  business,  increase 
the  number  of  acres,  when,  if  they  would  double  the 
depth  of  that  which  they  already  possess,  they  would  ob- 
tain the  same  increase  in  product  without  going  to  the 
expense  of  purchasing  more  land,  besides  incurring  the 
extra  trouble  of  cultivating  two  acres,  when  one  might, 
with  proper  care,  produce  the  same  results.  Deepening 
the  soil  is  not  wholly  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  more 
plant  food,  nor  to  facilitate  the  downward  growth  of 
roots,  but  it  is  principally  for  the  purpose  of  disintegra- 
tion, and  making  it  of  such  a  consistency  that  it  will  be 
capable  of  retaining  a  sufficient  amount  of  moisture  at  all 
times  to  nourish  and  supply  the  plants  growing  therein, 
but  not  enough  to  be  detrimental.  Rain  water,  as  is 
well  known,  contains  gases  that  are  beneficial  to  plants,  and 
if  the  soil  is  in  a  condition  to  allow  it  to  pass  through  it,  a 
large  portion  of  these  gases  will  be  retained,  but  if  the 
surface  is  hard,  the  water  either  runs  off  or  remains  until 
it  evaporates. 
Again,  a  soil  that  is  loose  and  friable  admits  air,  and 


18  SMALL  FEUIT   CULTURIST. 

with  it  moisture.  To  prove  this  fact,  we  have  only  to 
take  a  piece  of  glass  or  polished  steel,  or  any  similar  sub- 
stance, and  place  it  in  an  ice-house  where  it  will  become 
cold ;  then  carry  it  into  the  open  air,  and  in  a  moment  it 
will  be  covered  with  water  condensed  from  the  atmos- 
phere. Now,  we  know  that  this  moisture  did  not  exude 
from  the  glass,  therefore  it  must  have  come  from  the  air. 
By  stirring  the  soil,  and  placing  that  which  has  become  heat- 
ed underneath  to  warm  the  roots,  and  bringing  the  cooler 
portions  to  the  top  to  condense  the  moisture,  two  objects 
are  obtained :  besides  loosening  the  earth  that  it  may  be 
the  more  easily  penetrated  by  the  rootlets,  it  at  the 
same  time  admits  the  air  charged  with  moisture  for  their 
nourishment.  The  benefit  derived  from  frequent  stirring 
of  the  surface  soil  in  dry  weather,  especially  if  it  be  of  a 
compact  nature,  is  mainly  derived  from  the  admission  of 
air  containing  moisture.  Many  cultivators  appear  to 
think  that  all  that  is  required  of  them  is,  to  keep  the 
weeds  from  growing  among  their  plants,  and  they  never 
stir  the  soil  except  for  this  purpose ;  but  our  best  culti- 
vators have  learned  that  frequent  moving  of  the  soil  is 
very  beneficial  to  all  crops,  especially  in  time  of  drouth. 
If  any  one  doubts  that  soil  can  be  made  moist  by  frequent 
stirring,  let  them  select  a  piece  of  ground  under  some 
open  shed  where  no  rain  has  reached  for  a  year  or  more, 
break  up  the  soil  and  pulverize  it  finely ;  then  stir  it  and 
turn  it  over  every  morning  for  a  week  or  two,  and  it  will 
become  quite  moist,  while  a  similar  soil  in  the  open  field, 
which  has  not  been  stirred,  will  be  parched  and  dry. 
Mulching  the  surface  with  straw,  leaves,  or  similar  materi- 
als, is  often  very  beneficial,  especially  to  plants  whose 
roots  do  not  penetrate  deeply.  The  mulch  not  only  as- 
sists in  preventing  evaporation,  but  insures  condensation 
of  moisture  from  the  air,  which  passes  freely  through  it  to 
the  soil. 
It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  discus- 


INTRODUCTION.  .    19 

eions  of  particular  theories  relative  to  growth,  structure, 
food  of  plants,  or  any  of  the  various  points  in  vegetable 
physiology  which  are  considered  debatable  questions. 
But  as  I  shall  have  occasion  in  the  following  pages  to  ad- 
vise deep  and  thoroughly  pulverized  soil,  I  have  stated 
the  foregoing  simple  facts,  so  that  the  reader  may  under- 
stand why  they  are  recommended. 


CHAPTER  I. 


BARBERRY. — BEKBEEIS. 
NATURAL  FAMILY  BerberidaccR. 

[Name  derived  from  Berberys,  the  Arabic  name  of  the  fruit.  The  French  name 
la  Epine  Dinette ;  German,  Berberitze ;  Dutch,  Berberisse ;  Italian,  Berbero  ;  Span- 
ish, Berberis.} 

GENERAL  CHARACTEES. — Shrubs  of  medium  size,  with 
yellow  inner  bark  and  wood.  Flowers  in  drooping  ra- 
cemes, leaves,  and  fruit  acid.  A  section  of  this  genus  is 
often  called  Mahonia ;  the  species  belonging  to  it,  have 
evergreen  leaves,  and  are  chiefly  cultivated  for  ornament. 

SPECIES. 

Berberis  Vlilgaris.  —  Common  Barberry.  —  Native  of 
Britain,  but  has  become  naturalized  in  the  New  England 
States.  Stems  with  sharp  spines.  Leaves  obovate-oblong, 
bristly  toothed.  Berries  oblong,  scarlet. 

Berberis  Canadensis.  — American  Barberry.  —  Very 
similar  to  the  last ;  the  racemes  not  quite  so  long.  Berries 
oval.  Considered  by  some  botanists  as  only  a  variety  of  JB. 
vulgaris.  Found  wild  on  the  Alleghanies  and  southward. 

Berfoeris  dulcis.  —  Magellan  Sweet  Barberry.  —  Also 
called  B.  buxifolia  and  B.  rotundifolia.  Native  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  It  is  an  evergreen  in  its  native  coun- 
try and  in  England,  but  with  us  it  usually  drops  its  leaves 
in  the  latter  part  of  winter.  It  blooms  early,  and  ripens  its 
fruit  in  July.  Berries  round,  black,  and  moderately  sweet. 

Berberis  aristata, — Nepaul  Barberry. — B.  Asiatica  and 
B.  Chitra  of  some  authors.  Native  of  Nepaul  and  other 
portions  of  India,  where  it  is  an  evergreen.  Fruit  purple, 
covered  with  bloom.  Highly  prized  in  its  native  country. 

There  are  probably  other  distinct  species  which  produce 
20 


BAEBBEBT.  .21 

edible  fruit,  but  it  is  so  very  difficult  to  determine  them  at 
the  present  time,  and  as  botanists  are  not  fully  agreed  upon 
this  point,  I  shall  content  myself  with  classifying  them  as 
merely  varieties  of  the  foregoing  species. 

HISTORY. 

There  is  very  little  in  the  history  of  the  Barberry  that  is 
of  any  particular  interest  to  the  people  of  the  present  day. 
Some  writers  suppose  that  Pliny  had  reference  to  this  plant 
where  he  says,  in  his  24th  Book,  Chap.  13,  "  There  is  a 
kind  of  thorny  bush  called  Appendix,  for  that  there  be  red 
berries  hanging  thereto  which  be  likewise  named  Apen- 
dices."  Whether  it  was  really  the  Barberry,  or  some  simi- 
lar sh'rub,  which  he  referred  to  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing. 

Gerarde,  an  English  author  who  wrote  in  1597,  says 
that  the  young  leaves  of  the  Barberry  bush  were  used  as 
a  salad  in  his  time. 

PROPAGATION. 

BY  SEEDS. — Gather  the  berries  when  fully  ripe,  and  put 
into  boxes  until  the  pulp  has  become  soft,  then  wash  out 
the  seeds,  and  either  sow  them  or  put  away  in  sand  until 
wanted. 

It  is  best  to  sow  them  in  the  fall,  for,  if  delayed  until 
spring,  and  the  seeds  become  dry,  a  portion  of  them,  at 
least,  will  not  grow.  In  sections  of  the  country  where  the 
weather  is  likely  to  be  very  hot  and  dry  in  summer,  a  half- 
shady  place  should  be  selected  for  the  seed-bed,  as  there  is 
sometimes  danger  of  the  young  plants  being  burned  off 
when  they  first  appear  above  ground.  Sow  the  seeds  in 
drills,  and  cover  them  about  one  inch  deep ;  keep  the  weeds 
down,  and  stir  the  soil  often. 

Transplant  when  one  or  two  years  old,  and  al  the  time 
of  removal  shorten  the  tap-root  about  one-third. 

Early  spring  is  the  best  time  to  transplant  the  Barberry 
in  the  Northern  States. 


22  SMAJX   FRUIT  CULTURIST. 

BY  SUCKERS. — The  Barberry  throws  up  a  great  quantity 
of  suckers,  chiefly  from  the  main  stem.  Roots  are  produced 
on  the  base  of  these  suckers.  Consequently  they  may  be 
separated  from  the  eld  plant  whenever  it  is  desirable  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  plants. 

BY  CUTTINGS. — Cuttings  of  the  ripe  wood  do  not  grow  as 
readily  as  with  some  other  plants ;  still,  with  a  little  care, 

•  they  may  be  made  to  succeed.     Select  one  or  two  year  old 

•  wood  in  the  fall,  and  before  it  has  been  severely  frozen,  and 
cut  it  into  lengths  of  six  or  eight  inches,  cutting  the  lower 
end  square  across  and  just  below  a  bud.     Make  them  with 
a  sharp  knife,  so  that  the  wood  shall  not  be  crushed,  but 
cut  smoothly.     After  the  cuttings  are  made,  bury  them  in 
a  dry  place  in  the  open  ground,  and  cover  so  deeply  that 
the  frost  will  not  reach  them.     They  should  not  be  tied  in 
bundles,  as  is  sometimes  recommended  for  cuttings,  but  be 
placed  in  alternate  layers  of  soil   and   cuttings.     In  the 
spring  they  should  be  taken  out  and  planted,  placing  them 
about  three  inches  apart  in  the  rows,  covering  all  but  one 
or  two  inches  of  the  upper  end.     Pack  the  soil  firmly 
around  them,  and  either  hoe  often  or  cover  the  entire  sur- 
face of  the  soil  with  mulch.     As  the  same  general  system 
is  followed  for  all  ripe  wood  cuttings  which  are  grown  in 
the  open  ground,  I  will  here  state  the  method  which  I 
practice  not  only  with  the  Barberry,  but  with  the  Currant, 
Gooseberry,  and  all  similar  plants,  that  I  shall  have  oc- 
casion to  mention  in  future  chapters.     When  the  cuttings 
are  prepared,  select  a  dry  place,  and  dig  a  trench  one  spade 
deep,  in  shape  like  a  letter  Y ;  place  a  layer  of  cuttings  on 
one  side,  then  throw  enough  soil  from  the  other  side  to 
cover  them  about  an  inch  deep.     Then  place  another  layer 
of  cuttings  against  this  soil,  keeping  the  trench  in  the  same 
shape  as  it  was  when  begun,  cover  the  next  layer  in  the 
same  manner,  and  so  on  until  the  cuttings  are  all  in ;  then 
bank  over  with  earth  and  smooth  the  surface  so  that  the 
water  will  readily  run  oif. 


BARBERRY.  23 

In  the  spring,  prepare  a  bed  for  the  cuttings  by  digging 
or  plowing  deeply,  and  enriching  with  well  rotted  manure. 
Harrow  or  rake  the  surface  level  and  smooth ;  then  draw 
a  line  across  the  bed,  and  dig  a  trench  by  placing  the  back 
of  the  spade  against  the  line,  pressing  it  down  perpendicu- 
larly ;  then  throw  out  the  soil  to  one  side,  making  a  trench 
of  the  shape  shown  in  figure  I.  Place  the  cuttings  against 

the  perpendicular  side  of  the 
trench,  two  to  four  inches 
apart,  and  the  upper  end  an 
inch  or  two  above  the  surface 
of  the  soil.  Draw  in  a  little 
soil,  and  press  it  down  firmly 
with  the  foot,  or  with  an  in- 
Fig.  1.— CUTTING  TRENCH.  strument  made  from  a  piece  of 
two  inch  plank,  as  shown  in  figure  2.  After  the  earth  has 
been  packed  firmly  about  the  base  of  the  cutting,  the 
trench  may  be  filled  up  level  with  the  surrounding  soil. 
With  many  kinds  of  plants  the  packing  of  the 
soil  around  the  lower  end  of  the  cuttings  is  a 
very  essential  point,  and  often  the  whole  secret 
of  success.  This  is  particularly  so  with  those 
kinds  that  produce  roots  mainly  from  the  lower 
end,  where  the  wood  is  exposed  to  the  soil.  The 
distance  between  the  rows  will  depend  entirely 
upon  the  manner  in  which  they  are  to  be  culti- 
vated. If  a  cultivator  is  to  be  used,  then  they 
should  be  two  and  a  half  or  three  feet  apart ; 
but  where  they  are  to  be  cultivated  with  the 
hoe  one  and  a  half  to  two  feet  will  be  sufficient. 
In  some  soils  and  locations  the  plants  raised 
from  cuttings  may  be  left  in  the  ground  where  Fig*  2' 
they  are  grown  until  the  following  spring,  and  then  trans- 
planted ;  but  the  safest  plan  is  to  take  them  up  in  the  fall,  be- 
cause in  some  soils  they  will  be  thrown  out  by  the  frost,  un- 
less they  have  a  larger  quantity  of  roots  than  is  usual. 


24  SMALL  FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

BY  GREEN  WOOD  CUTTINGS. — This  mode  of  propagating 
the  Barberry  can  only  be  practiced  to  advantage  by  those 
who  have  propagating  houses.  The  plants  should  be  taken 
up  in  the  fall  and  potted,  giving  each  plant  sufficient  soil 
and  room  to  insure  a  healthy  growth.  They  may  be  placed 
directly  in  the  house  or  in  trames  or  cellar  until  wanted. 
When  they  are  first  potted  the  soil  should  be  watered  so 
that  it  will  settle  about  the  roots  and  fill  all  interstices 
between  them. 

When  the  plants  have  been  placed  in  the  house,  and 
have  made  a  growth  of  two  or  three  inches,  the  cuttings 
may  be  taken  off  by  severing  the  new-growing  wood  close 
to  the  main  stem ;  place  the  cuttings  in  pots  filled  with  pure 
sand,  fifteen  to  twenty  in  a  six  inch  pot,  after  which  give 
water  to  settle  the  sand  about  the  cuttings;  then  cover 
with  a  bell  glass,  or  place  in  frames  within  the  house,  as 
usual  with  other  green  wood  cuttings. 

Every  experienced  propagator  will  understand  and  know 
how  to  treat  the  cuttings  when  they  become  rooted,  and 
those  who  are  novices  in  these  matters  would  do  well  to 
practice  a  while  upon  plants  less  difficult  to  propagate,  be- 
fore trying  the  Barberry. 

BY  BUDDING  AND  GRAFTING. — The  rare  varieties  are 
sometimes  worked  upon  the  more  common  kinds,  usually  by 
budding.  The  operation  is  performed  just  as  soon  as  the 
buds  are  fully  developed  on  the  young  growth  of  the  sea- 
son, and  in  the  same  manner  as  upon  the  apple  and  similar 
trees.  Grafting  is  also  performed  in  the  usual  manner,  but 
the  cion  should  be  inserted  in  the  stock  below  the  surface 
so  that  all  but  the  upper  bud  will  be  covered  by  the  soil. 

BY  LAYERS. — The  usual  manner  of  making  layers  of  othe* 
woody  plants  is  applicable  to  the  Barberry,  but  they  will 
seldom  become  well  rooted  the  first  season.  Still  they  may 
be  severed  from  the  parent  plant  in  the  autumn  or  early 
spring ;  the  upper  portions  of  the  stems  are  cut  oft  and 
then  they  are  treated  the  same  as  cuttings. 


BARBERRY.  25 

The  layers  may  be  made  in  early  spring,  of  the  previous 
season's  growth,  or  later,  when  new  wood  is  formed  of  suf- 
ficient length  for  the  purpose.  Layers  put  down  in  the 
autumn  will  become  well  rooted  by  the  end  of  the  next 
season. 

CULTURE. 

The  Barberry,  when  left  to  itself,  forms  a  dense  shrub, 
with  many  stems,  but  when  cultivated  for  its  fruit  a  portion 
of  the  shoots  should  be  annually  removed  to  allow  the  sun 
and  air  to  more  readily  reach  all  parts  of  the  plant,  and 
assist  in  developing  the  fruit  buds. 

It  may  also  be  trained  to  a  single  stem,  and  when  treated 
in  this  manner,  some  of  the  varieties  will  form  shrubs  ten 
to  fifteen  feet  in  hight.  The  fruit  will  also  be  larger  and 
more  abundant  than  when  the  plant  is  allowed  to  grow  in 
the  natural  manner  and  without  pruning. 

Each  plant  should  be  given  plenty  of  room  and  not 
crowded,  especially  when  fruit  is  the  object  of  cultivation. 
Six  to  eight  feet  apart  will  be  sufficient  in  ordinary  soil. 

As  before  remarked,  the  Barberry  will  grow  in  dry  and 
almost  barren  soil ;  still,  as  no  plant  will  produce  the  best 
results  in  such  situations,  it  is  best  to  give  a  good,  deep 
and  moderately  rich  soil  even  to  plants  that  will  grow  in  a 
poor  one. 

VARIETIES  AND   USES. 

Berberis  VUlgaris. — This  species  and  some  of  its  varie- 
ties are  probably  better  known  in  this  country  than  any 
others.  The  most  common  is  the  original  species,  which  is 
found  growing  wild  in  many  places  in  the  New  England 
States.  It  is  also  quite  common  in  gardens.  The  fruit  is 
oblong,  about  half  an  inch  in  length  and  one-eighth  across, 
of  a  bright  scarlet  color,  very  acid,  but  of  agreeable  flavor. 
Figure  3  shows  a  small  branch,  with  fruit  and  flowers  of 
natural  siz^  and  figure  4  gives  a  magnified  single  flower. 
There  is  a  peculiarity  about  the  stamens  worthy  of  notice, 
2 


SMAIX,    FRUIT    CULTUKIST. 


as  they  are  endowed  with  a  remarkable  irritability.     When 
the   flower  opens,  the  stamens  all   lay  back   against  the 


Fig.  3. — BARBERRY  FLOWER   AND   FRUIT. 

petals,  but  when  touched  by  an  insect  they  spring  up 
against  the  pistil,  where 
they  discharge  their  pollen. 
This  motion  may  be  pro- 
duced by  touching  the  sta- 
mens near  the  base  with 
a  pin  or  other  point.  The 
Fig.  4.  stamens  discharge  their  pollen  in  a  rather 

unusual  manner.     In  most  stamens  the  anther,  or  pollen- 


BAKBEBKY.  -  27 

bearing  portion,  opens  by  slits,  but  in  the  Barberry  a  pair 
of  little  doors,  or  traps,  lift  up  to  allow  the  pollen  to  fall 
out.  Figure  5  shows  two  enlarged  stamens — one  closed 
and  the  other  open. 

The  fruit  and  flowers  are  not  produced  at  the  same  time 
upon  the  plant,  but  as  a  matter  of  convenience  they  are 
both  shown  on  the  same  branch  in  the  engraving.  The 
fruit  is  much  used  for  preserves,  pickles,  jams,  &c. 

The  thorny  character  of  the  plant,  with  its  upright,  com- 
pact growth,  makes  it  a  very  desirable  hedge  plant. 

The  inner  bark  of  the  stem  and  roots  is  used  in  some 
countries  for  making  a  yellow  dye.  It  is  also  used  in  Po- 
land and  other  portions  of  the  East  for  tanning  purposes. 

The  best  known  varieties  of  this  species  are  as  follows : 

B,  VUlgariS  alba, — White  fruited. — Not  very  productive, 
and  not  so  vigorous  a  grower  as  the  original. 

B.  Vlllgaris  aspcrma* — A  variety  which  produces  fruit 
without  seeds.  It  is  not,  however,  constant,  and  plants 
propagated  from  it  will  often  produce  fruit  with  seeds. 
This  variety  has  been  known  and  cultivated  in  England 
-for  more  than  two  hundred  years,  according  to  Parkinson, 
Gerarde  and  other  old  authors. 

B,  Ylllgaris  dulcis, — Sweet  fruited. — Very  similar  to  the 
species.  The  fruit  is  a  little  larger  and  not  quite  so  acid, 
and  leaves  bright  green  and  shining. 

This  variety  should'not  be  confounded  with  the  before 
mentioned  species,  JBerberis  dulcis,  as  the  latter  has  black 
fruit  of  the  size  of  a  large  currant,  which  is  solitary,  while 
that  of  the  former  is  produced  in  racemes. 

B.  Vlllgaris  purpurea, — Purple  leaved. — Leaves  dark 
purple.  On  this  account  it  is  very  ornamental. 

B,  Vlllgaris  glauca, — Leaves  pale  green  and  glaucous; 
not  shining. 

B,  Vlllgaris  longifolia* — Leaves  longer  than  in  the  spe- 
cies ;  otherwise  the  same. 


28  SMALL    FBUIT   CULTUKIST. 

Bi  VTllgaris  lutca. — Tellow  fruited. — A  variety  with 
small  yellow  fruit ;  not  very  productive. 

B.  VUlgaris  mitis. — Thorns  small  and  not  as  rigid  as  in 
other  varieties. 

B.  VUlgariS  nigra. — Black  fruited. — Tournefort  found 
his  variety  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago.  He  says  that  the  fruit  is  of  a 
sweet  and  delicious  flavor.  I  am  not  aware  of  its  being 
cultivated  in  America. 

B.  VUlgaris  purpurea. — Purple  fruited. — Fruit  dark  red 
or  purple.  Leaves  narrow,  with  few  prickles. 

B.  VUlgaris  violacea, — Violet  fruited. — Fruit  violet 
colored. 

There  are  probably  many  other  varieties  of  this  species, 
as  the  seedlings  usually  vary  considerably,  especially  when 
the  seeds  are  taken  from  kinds  that  are  quite  distinct  from 
the  original  species. 

Seedlings  grown  from  the  purple-leaved  variety  will 
show  a  great  diversity  of  foliage.  Some  will  have  purple 
leaves  like  the  parent,  while  others  will  be  margined  with 
purple  or  red,  or  be  wholly  green. 

Berberis  Sibirica. — Siberian  Barberry. — Native  of  Si- 
beria, where  it  is  found  growing  among  rocks  on  hill  sides 
and  mountains.  The  plant  seldom  grows  more  than  two 
feet  high.  Fruit  oval,  red,  solitary,  peduncle  shorter 
than  the  leaves. 

The  following,  which  may  be  distinct  species,  or  only 
varieties,  possess  no  particular  merit  as  regards  their  fruit, 
out  may  interest  the  botanist  or  those  who  wish  to  make 
iheir  collections  as  complete  as  possible : 

B.  Iberica. — Iberian  Barberry. — Berries  deep  purple. 

B.  SinensiS. — Chinese  Barberry. — Berries  dull  red. 

B.  Cretica. — Cretan  Barberry.  —  Berries  oval,  black, 
very  astringent. 


BARBERRY. 


The  Barberry  is  susceptible  of  great  improvement,  and 
might,  if  a  proper  amount  of  care  were  bestowed  upon  it, 
become  a  fruit  of  much  importance ;  whereas,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  it  is  seldom  admitted  to  the  fruit  garden,  being 
mainly  planted  for  ornamental  purposes. 

DISEASES    AND    INSECTS. 

The  Barberry  is  seldom  injured  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent by  disease  or  insects.  The  leaves  are  sometimes  in- 
jured by  a  species  of  fungus  called  ^Ecidium  Herberidis. 
It  usually  makes  its  appearance  on  the  upper  end  of  the 
leaves  (fig.  6),  then  becomes  scattered  over 
the  surface,  and  extends  to  the  fruit.  To 
the  eye  it  appears  like  fine  reddish  dust. 
When  these  rust-like  spots  are  examined 
with  a  lens,  they  appear  as  in  figure  7, 
and  when  more  highly  magnified  the 
whole  is  found  to  consist  of 
cup-like  cells,  as  in  figure  8. 
These  cups  are  at  first  covered 
with  a  thin,  light  colored  film, 
which,  when  the  fungus  be- 
comes mature,  bursts  and  leaves  the  edges  of  the  cup  with 
the  uneven  margin  shown  in  figure  8.  When  this  covering 
bursts,  the  cups  discharge  their  spores  or  reproductive 
dust,  which  is  scattered  over  the  leaves  and  fruit. 

This  fungus  or  mildew  has 
keen  suPPose(l  to  cause  the  blight 
in  wheat,  and  it  is  an  old  belief 
that  the  Barberry  would  cause 
the  grain  near  which  it  grew  to 
Fig.  a  blast.  This  belief  has  generally 

been  treated  as  a  superstition  by  scientific  men,  but  recent 
researches  show  that  it  may  have  a  foundation  in  fact. 
Many  of  these  minute  fungi  have  in  different  generations 
very  unlike  forms.  Thus,  the  spores  of  A  will  produce 


Fig.  6. 


Fig.  7. 


30  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTTJKIST. 

B.  so  unlike  A.  that  it  has  been  taken  for  a  different 
fungus,  and  B.  will  again  reproduce  A.  There  la  a  strong 
probability  that  the  rust  of  the  Barberry  and  the  smut  in 
wheat  are  both  forms  of  the  same  fungus. 

The  injury  which  it  causes  to  the  Barberry  is  very  slight, 
but  it  may  become  so  prevalent  as  to  be  worthy  of  particu- 
lar attention.  Ashes  or  slacked  lime  scattered  over  th, 
leaves  in  the  morning,  when  the  dew  is  on  them,  woulc 
probably  destroy  it  or  check  its  progress.  Another  bligbi 
which  affects  the  leaves  later  in  the  season,  known  as  M\ 
crosphceria  Berber  idis,  is  shown  highly  magnified  in  figure 
9.  It  appears  in  very  minute  spots,  with  fine,  rib-like  ap- 
pendages radiating  from  the 
center,  like  the  spokes  of  s 
wheel,  the  ends  of  each  be- 
ing divided  into  several 
small  branches,  as  in  figure 
10.  This  species  of  blight 
attacks  the  leaves  so  late  in 

Fig.  9.  Fig.  10.        the  season  that  it  causes  but 

little  if  any  injury.  The  illustrations  of  these  and  the  other 
minute  fungi  given  in  subsequent  pages,  are  taken  from  a 
work  called  "Rust,  Smut  and  Mildew,"  by  M.  C.  Cook, 
London.  This  charming  little  work  is  beautifully  illus- 
trated, and  as  it  describes  many  fungi  common  to  both 
this  country  and  England,  we  call  the  attention  of  our 
readers  to  it,  as  the  most  available  source  of  information 
concerning  these  humble,  but,  to  the  fruit  grower,  import- 
ant forms  of  vegetation. 

I  am  not  aware  of  any  insect  that  is  injurious  to  the 
Barberry.  The  peculiar  (and  rather  agreeable  than  other- 
wise) fragrance  of  the  flowers  attracts  numerous  insects  to 
the  plant  when  in  bloom,  and  their  presence  is  probably 
for  the  purpose  of  gathering  food,  while  they  aid  at  the  same 
time  in  fertilizing  the  flowers  by  irritating  the  stamens. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE    STRAWBERRY.— FRAGARIA 

NATURAL    FAMILY    Rosace<E. 

[Name  derived  from  fragrans,  perfumed  in  reference  to  the  fragrance  of  the 
fruit.  French,  Frasier ;  German,  Erdbeerpflanze ;  Dutch,  Aadbezie;  Italian, 
Pianta  di  fragola ;  Spanish,  Freza.  The  name  of  Strawberry  is  said  by  Pryor 
to  be  derived  from  the  Anglo  Saxon  "  Slreoberie"  either  from  its  straw-like 
haulms,  or  from  their  laying  strown  upon  the  ground.  Other  author?  give  differ- 
ent derivations.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

Calyx  flat  or  reflexed,  deeply  five-cleft,  with  the  same 
number  of  bracelets,  thus  appearing  to  be  ten-cleft.  Petals 
five,  white,  erect,  spreading.  Stamens  many,  usually  about 
twenty.  Pistils  numerous,  adhering  at  the  base  to  the 
small  seed-like  fruits,  these  are  situated  on  the  fleshy  re- 
ceptacle, which  enlarges  and  becomes  what  is  generally 
called  the  fruit  or  berry.  Increased  by  seeds,  runners  and 
divisions  of  the  roots.  Stemless  perennials,  with  or  without 
runners.  Leaves  radical,  divided  into  three  leaflets,  obovate 
wedge-form,  coarsely  serrate,  evergreen.  Root  fibrous, 
rather  woody,  perennial. 

SPECIES 

Fragaria  VCSCa. — Edible  Strawberry,  Alpine  Straw- 
berry, Wood  Strawberry,  <fcc. — Seeds  superficial,  on  the 
conical  or  hemispherical  fruiting  receptacle  (not  sunk  in  a 
cavity).  Flower  stalks  longer  than  the  leaves,  erect,  hairy, 
hairs  closely  pressed  upward.  Fruit  drooping,  usually  con- 
ical, sometimes"  globular.  Leaves  thin,  pale  green ;  upper 
surface  uneven,  slightly  wavy.  Native  of  Europe  and 
America. 


32  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

Fragaria  COllina. — Green  Strawberry. — This  is  consid- 
ered by  some  botanists  as  a  species,  but  the  only  really 
distinct  character  is  in  its  fruit,  which  is  greenish-brown 
when  ripe. 

Fragaria  Clatior. — Hautbois  Strawberry. — Calyx  re- 
flexed.  Seeds  superficial.  Flower  stalks  longer  than  the 
leaves,  erect.  Fruit  round  or  oblate,  usually  drooping,  but 
sometimes  erect,  possessing  a  strong  musky  flavor.  Hairs 
on  both  leaf  and  flower-stalks  long,  and  widely  spreading, 
somewhat  reflexed.  Leaves  larger  than  in  F.  vesca,  and 
more  or  less  pubescent,  covered  with  short  hairs  on  both 
upper  and  lower  surface,  giving  them  a  rough  appearance. 
Native  of  Germany. 

Fragaria  indie  a, — India  Strawberry.— A  species  with 
yellow  flowers.  Fruit  not  edible.  Native  of  India. 

Fragaria  Virginiana. — Virginian  Strawberry. — Seeds 
imbedded  in  the  deeply  pitted  receptacle.  Fruit  roundish, 
ovoid  to  conical,  highly  perfumed.  Flower  stalks  shorter 
than  the  leaves,  hairy ;  hairs  spreading,  more  or  less  erect. 
Leaves  obovate,  wedge  form,  variable,  coarsely  serrate, 
usually  dark  green;  upper  surface  smooth,  often  shining. 
Native  of  North  America.  Chiefly  in  the  United  States 
and  southern  portions  of  Canada. 

Fragaria  grandiflora. — Large  flowering  Strawberry.— 
Calyx  erect,  slightly  spreading.  Seeds  set  in  a  shallow  de- 
pression. Flowers  larger  than  in  other  species.  Fruit 
sweet,  perfumed.  Flesh  firm.  Flower  stalks  shorter  than 
the  leaves.  Leaves  smooth,  usually  deep  green.  Serra- 
tures  broadly  ovate.  Native  of  South  America. 

HISTORY. 

It  is  of  little  consequence  to  the  horticulturist  of  the 
present  day  whether  any  particular  kind  of  fruit  familiar 
to  us  was  known  in  ancient  times.  Still,  we  often  find  our- 
selves sending:  a  thought  back  into  the  dim  and  uncertain 


STEAWBEEEY.  33 

past,  picking  up  here  and  there  a  stray  word  or  line  that 
informs  us  that  some  of  the  fruits  now  cultivated  by  us 
were  also  known  to  those  of  former  ages. 

The  number  of  such  old  time  fruits  is  quite  limited,  and 
most  of  them  are  of  quality  so  inferior  that  we  would 
hardly  be  willing  to  exchange  those  of  our  time  for  the 
productions  of  any  period. 

The  Strawberry  was  probably  not  cultivated  in  olden 
times,  as  it  is  scarcely  mentioned  by  the  Roman  writers  on 
agriculture.  Some  who  are  most  explicit  in  other  matters 
pertaining  to  fruit-culture  do  not  mention  it,  while  Pliny, 
Ovid  and  Virgil  only  casually  refer  to  it,  and  this  reference 
is  not  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  its  culture. 

From  a  few  lines  in  one  of  those  old  works,  we  infer  that 
the  children  in  ancient  times  had  similar  tastes  to  those  of 
the  present,  and  that  they  found  no  day  so  hot,  or  hill  so 
steep, as  to  deter  them  from  seeking  the  little  gems  in  the 
tall  grass,  or  through  bramble  and  wood.  We,  who  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  spend  our  youthful  days  in  the  country, 
can  appreciate  the  following  lines  of  Virgil,  as  translated 
by  Warton,  as  they  touch  a  heart-string  whose  vibrations 
send  memory  back  to  joyful  days  in  the  past : 

"  Ye  boys  that  gather  flowers  and  strawberries, 
Lo,  hid  within  the  grass  a  serpent  lies." 

We  learn  from  the  ancient  writers  nothing  in  relation  to 
Strawberry  culture  that  is  of  any  practical  value.  We  are, 
therefore,  compelled  to  turn  to  those  of  modern  times  for 
any  reliable  information. 

There  are  facts  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Straw- 
berry that  it  is  important  for  us  to  know. 

For  instance,  from  what  country,  climate  or  situation 
were  certain  species  derived  ?  If  a  species  came  originally 
from  a  very  warm  country,  it  is  doubtful  if  it  will  ever  be 
so  well  adapted  to  a  cold  latitude  as  one  obtained  from  a 
climate  similar  to  the  one  in  which  it  is  to  be  cultivated. 

By  hybridizing,  we  may  so  intermingle  species  that  it 
2* 


34  SMALL    FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

will  be  difficult  to  tell  from  what  particular  source  they 
originated.  Yet,  if  there  be  any  feeble  or  tender  element 
in  their  composition,  it  will  be  constantly  showing  itself, 
and  a  continual  source  of  annoyance  to  the  cultivator.  It 
is  for  this  reason  that  it  is  always  desirable  to  know  as 
much  of  the  history  and  origin  of  a  fruit  as  possible, 
specially  if  it  is  to  be  selected  as  the  parent  from  which 
aew  varieties  are  to  be  produced. 

There  are  instances  where  a  species  has  succeeded  better 
in  a  foreign  country  than  at  home ;  but  such  cases  are  only 
exceptional,  and  where  the  climates  are  similar,  or  the  spe- 
cies naturally  had  a  very  wide  range  in  latitude. 

The  Strawberry  is  probably  more  widely  distributed  than 
any  other  plant  we  cultivate. 

The  Fragaria  vesca,  or  Alpine  Strawberry,  grows  in  the 
mountains  of  Greece  and  northward  to  Britain,  where,  in 
the  latter  country,  it  assumes  a  different  form,  and  is  there 
called  the  Wood  Strawberry. 

The  principal  difference  between  the  two  is  in  the 
form  of  the  fruit,  the  Alpine  being  conical,  while  the 
Wood  varieties  are  round.  The  Alpine  Strawberry  is  also 
a  native  of  North  America,  being  found  in  high  woods  and 
fields  in  most  of  the  Northern  States,  and  far  to  the  North 
in  the  Canada s.  There  appear  to  be  several  natural  varie- 
ties of  this  species  in  Europe,  which  have  been  known  for 
several  centuries.  In  1483,  the  garden  of  the  Bishop  of 
Ely,  at  Holborn,  in  England,  was  celebrated  for  its  excel- 
lent Strawberries.  They  were  probably  the  common  Wood 
Strawberries  of  the  country — one  with  red  fruit,  the  other 
white.  The  Alpines  were  introduced  into  England  some 
two  hundred  years  later.  There  are  two  original  varieties 
the  same  in  color  as  the  Wood  Strawberries.  There  are 
also  monthly  varieties,  and  those  which  do  not  produce 
runners. 

The  original  species  or  varieties  appear  to  persistently 
retain  their  normal  characteristics  under  all  the  varied 


STRAWBERRY.  35 

changes  which  they  have  been  subjected  to  in  cultivation. 
This  const aur-y  of  the  F.  vesca  may  account  for  the 
fact  that  no  advance,  of  any  importance,  was  made  in 
Strawberry  culture  in  Europe  until  other  and  more  variable, 
as  well  as  valuable,  species  were  introduced. 

In  1578,  Lyte,  in  his  translation  of  "  Dodoens  Herball," 
mentions  only  the  Wood  Strawberry.  Gerarde,  in  1597, 
named  the  White  and  Red  Wood  Strawberry.  In  1623, 
Casper  Bauhin,  in  his  "  Pinax,"  mentions  the  White  and 
Red  Wood,  Alpine,  and  Hautboy  or  Haarbeer  Strawberries. 
Parkinson,  in  his  Paradisus,  1629,  page  528,  says  that  there 
are  divers  sorts  in  cultivation,  and  names  the  Red  and 
White  Wood,  Green,  Virginia,  and  another  variety,  which 
he  called  the  Bohemian.  In  his  Theatrum  Botanicum,  is- 
sued in  1 640,  page  758,  he  mentions  a  variety  of  the  Al- 
pine, which,  he  says,  is  barren,  producing  no  fruit.  It  was 
probably  one  of  the  Potentillas,  and  not  a  Strawberry,  for 
he  also  describes  another  variety  which,  he  says,  has  yellow 
flowers,  and  the  seeds  are  in  a  dry,  compact  head,  and  the 
plant  has  smaller  leaves,  and  creeps  along  the  ground  with 
many  fine  stems. 

About  1660  a  Strawberry  grower  at  Montreuil,  in  France, 
is  said  to  have  produced  a  new  variety  from  the  seed  of  the 
Wood  Strawberry.  It  was  called  the  Cappron,  but  after- 
wards the  Fressant.  This  is  the  first  improved  variety  of 
which  we  have  any  account.  It  was  in  cultivation  at  the 
time  that  Evelyn  translated  Quintinies  "  French  Gardiner," 
in  1682 ;  also-  mentioned  by  Duchesne,  about  a  hundred 
years  later. 

The  persistency  with  which  some  species  reproduce 
themselves  is  quite  remarkable,  but  not  more  so  than  the 
equally  great  variations  that  are  constantly  being  developed 
in  others. 

Those  species  from  which  we  have  produced  the  greatest 
inmber  of  valuable  varieties,  generally  show  the  greatest 
diversity  of  character  in  their  natural  or  normal  conditioa 


36  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

The  Virginian  Strawberry,  which  is  the  most  common 
Strawberry  of  our  woods  and  fields,  was  introduced  into 
England  early  in  the  seventeenth  century ;  but  little  atten- 
tion, however,  was  paid  to  its  cultivation  for  nearly  or 
quite  one  hundred  years  thereafter.  But  as  soon  as  its 
valuable  qualities  were  discovered,  and  it  was  found  that 
>y  merely  sowing  seeds  new  varieties,  greatly  differing 
from  the  parent,  were  readily  produced,  it  began  to  attract 
the  attention  of  fruit  growers,  and  received  the  care  it 
deserved. 

It  is  the  most  fragrant  of  all  known  species,  possessing 
a  delightful,  aromatic  perfume,  not  surpassed  by  any  other 
fruit.  It  is  a  robust  and  vigorous  grower,  withstanding 
the  severe  cold  of  our  northern  winters,  as  well  as  the 
burning  sun  of  summer.  It  assumes  very  distinct  charac- 
ters in  different  locations,  those  of  the  Western  States 
varying  considerably  from  those  of  the  Eastern,  so  much 
so  that  the  varieties  grown  from  them  usually  retain  their 
peculiar  characteristics  through  an  almost  indefinite  num- 
ber of  generations. 

Among  the  varieties  in  cultivation  at  the  present  time 
we  can  recognize  many  whose  parentage  can  be  traced  to 
the  western  plants,  while  others  are  unmistakably  from 
those  of  the  Eastern  States.  I  will  name  a  few  of  each  class, 
ancj  those  who  are  acquainted  with  them  will  more  readily 
recognize  their  peculiar  characters  than  they  could  from 
any  descriptions  which  I  might  give — only  premising 
that  the  western  class,  as  a  rule,  produce  the  largest,  soft- 
est, and  most  acid  fruit. 

The  best  known  of  the  western  type  are :  Austin,  Iowa, 
Downer's  Prolific,  Green  Prolific,  General  Scott,  and 
Victory. 

Of  the  eastern  type,  Early  Scarlet,  Jenny  Lind,  Scott'g 
Seedling,  Boston  Pine,  Brighton  Pine,  &c. 

The  various  forms  observed  in  the  F.  Virginiana  in  dif 
ferent  portions  of  the  country,  have  given  rise  to  much  dis- 


STRAW  HERE  Y.  37 

cussion  as  to  whether  all  these  variations  should  be  classed 
as  one  species,  or  separated  into  different  ones.  Dr. 
Asy  Gray  classes  them  all  as  one  species,  and  he  is  un- 
doubtedly correct. 

A  few  would-be  authorities  will  not  acknowledge  that  a 
species  can  possibly  be  variable,  and  still  be  the  same. 
Consequently  we  often  see  long  essays  from  such  men,  in 
which  the  F.  Virginiana  is  divided  into  numerous  species, 
such  as  F.  Illinoiensis,  F.  lowaensis,  &c.  We  might  with 
as  much  propriety  separate  our  American  chestnut  into 
innumerable  species,  for  there  is  as  great  difference  in  the 
nuts  and  growth  of  the  tree  as  is  to  be  found  in  the  com- 
mon Strawberry. 

Free  discussion  in  scientific  matters  is  to  a  certain  extent 
beneficial;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  present  or  fu- 
ture generations  will  be  benefited  by  such  dissertations  as 
frequently  appear  in  some  of  our  rural  periodicals  or  in 
our  agricultural  reports,  purporting  to  come  from  intelli- 
gent men,  while  the  fact  is  apparent  to  every  one  who  has 
the  least  knowledge  on  the  subject  of  which  they  treat, 
that  said  articles  are  a  mass  of  errors,  and  the  authors 
write  for  other  purposes  than  those  of  giving  information 
to  the  people. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  Virginia  Strawberry  had  no 
successful  rival  in  English  gardens,  though  it  was  never  so 
highly  appreciated  in  Britain  as  here,  from  the  fact  that  it 
is  more  acid  and  not  so  highly  flavored  in  the  moist  cool 
climate  of  that  country  as  in  our  own. 

The  introduction  of  the  South  American  species  (F. 
grandiflora)  gave  a  new  impetus  to  Strawberry  culture  in 
Europe. 

The  fruit  is  naturally  much  larger  and  sweeter  than  any 
of  the  other  species,  consequently  it  does  not  require  so 
much  heat  to  develop  its  saccharine  qualities.  That  pe- 
3uliar  aromatic  sprightliness,  which  is  such  a  prominent 


38  SMALL   FRUIT   (!TJLTUEIST. 

feature  in  the  F.  Virginiana,  is,  however,  almost  entirely 
wanting  in  other  species. 

The  same  dissecting  process  has  been  applied  to  the 
South  American  species  as  to  our  northern  one,  and  it  is 
sometimes  called  F.  Chiliensis,  F.  JBonariensis,  &c. — the 
name  usually  indicating  the  place  from  which  the  supposed 
distinct  species  was  derived.  That  the  different  varieties 
discovered  in  the  various  portions  of  the  country  are  quite 
distinct,  every  one  who  is  acquainted  with  them  will  admit. 
Yet  these  variations  are  no  greater  than  have  already 
been  mentioned  in  those  of  other  species. 

The  first  account  we  have  of  the  South  American  Straw- 
berry is  in  1716,  when  M.  Frezier,  in  his  voyage  to  the 
South  Sea,  found  it  at  the  foot  of  the  Cordillera  Mountains, 
near  Quito,  and  carried  it  home  to  Marseilles,  in  France. 

It  was  at  that  tune  called  the  Chili  Strawberry,  and  the 
Spaniards  said  that  they  had  previously  brought  it  from 
Mexico. 

We  do  not  learn  from  any  of  the  old  French  works  that 
any  new  varieties  were  raised  from  the  Chili  Strawberry 
for  at  least  fifty  years  after  its  introduction.  Duchesne,  in 
1766,  says  "  that  Miller  considered  its  cultivation  as  aban- 
doned in  England  on  account  of  its  sterility."  The  impor- 
tations from  other  portions  of  South  America  appear  to 
have  met  with  better  success,  and  about  fifty  years  ago 
new  varieties  of  the  F.  grandiflora,  as  well  as  of  the  Vir- 
giniana,  became  quite  abundant  in  England  and  on  the 
Continent. 

At  the  present  time  the  varieties  of  F.  grandrflora  appear 
to  be  valued  more  highly  in  Europe  than  any  other — at  least 
we  judge  so  from  the  fact  that  almost  all  of  the  new  varie- 
ties imported  of  late  years  show  more  of  the  characteristics 
ol  this  species  than  of  others.  This  may  account  for  the 
failure  of  so  many  of  the  new  foreign  varieties  in  the 
Northern  States.  The  severe  cold  of  our  winters,  and  our 


STRAWBERRY.  39 

dry,  hot  summers,  are  two  extremes  that  they  cannot  with- 
stand. 

Occasionally  we  receive  a  variety  which,  by  extra  care 
and  protection  in  winter,  will  produce  a  large  crop ;  but, 
as  a  whole,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  Strawberry  growers 
in  the  United  States  have  been  permanently  benefited  by 
the  introduction  of  any  of  the  new  varieties  raised  from 
the  grandiflora.  They  may  have  awakened  a  taste  for 
more  thorough  experiments  in  Strawberry  culture,  and  by 
hybridizing  them  with  our  more  hardy  kinds  produced 
new  ones  of  real  value. 

SEXUALITY    OF    THE    STRAWBERRY. 

Naturally  the  Strawberry  flower  possesses  stamens  and 
pistils ;  it  is  therefore  perfect,  as  both  of  these  organs  are 
necessary  for  the  production  of  fruit.  Every  botanist,  from 
Linnaeus  down  to  the  present  time,  has  described  the 
Strawberry  flower  as  perfect  or  bi-sexual. 

Therefore,  to  assume  that  this  is  not  the  normal  charac- 
ter (as  a  few  writers  of  late  have  done)  is  to  controvert  all 
of  our  botanical  authorities,  and  charge  them  with  over- 
looking that  which  the  most  casual  observer  could  have 
seen.  When  plants  are  taken  from  their  native  habitats 
and  placed  under  cultivation,  they  very  often  assume  forms 
^uite  different  from  their  natural  ones.  Sometimes  a  par- 
ticular organ  is  suppressed,  while  others  are  enlarged ;  thus 
we  have  the  pistillate  Strawberry  and  the  double  rose. 

Occasionally  the  seeds  of  domesticated  plants  are  carried 
by  birds  or  animals  to  woods  and  fields  quite  distant 
from  the  garden  in  which  they  are  cultivated,  and  if  per- 
chance they  are  deposited  under  favorable  conditions  they 
will  produce  fruit  similar  to  that  from  which  they  ori- 
ginated. If  we  find  a  pistillate  Strawberry  or  double  rose 
growing  wild,  does  it  prove  that  these  are  the  normal  char- 
acters of  the  genus  ?  Far  from  it ;  but  it  only  shows  that 


40 


SMALL    FRUIT    CTJLTURIST; 


plants  are  susceptible  of  change  under  certain  circumstances, 
and  especially  when  these 
are  not  perfectly  natural. 

The  Strawberry  be- 
longs to  the  same  great 
natural  family  as  the  rose, 
but  when  placed  under 
those  artificial  circum- 
stances to  which  it  is 
subjected  when  cultivat- 
ed, instead  of  becoming 
double,  (although  semi- 
double  varieties  are  occa- 
sionally produced,)  the 
stamens  are  sometimes 
suppressed,  and  varieties  arc  produced  with  flowers  con- 
taining pistils  only. 


--PERFECT  FLOWEK. 


Fig.  12. — PERFECT   FLOWER  ENLARGED. 

Figure  11  shows  what  is  termed  a  perfect  or  bi-sexual 
flower.     The  pistils  are  in  the  center,  while  around  them 


STRAWBERRY. 


41 


are  some  twenty  or  more  organs,  which  are  called  stamens. 
These  are  quite  different  in  appearance  from  the  pistils,  be- 
ing longer,  and  each  one  is  terminated  by  a  small  knob, 
which  is  called  the  anther.  The  anthers  contain  pollen,  a 


.  13. — SECTION   OF   PERFECT  FLOWER. 

substance  that  is  necessary  for  the  production  of  seed.  In 
figure  12  is  shown  the  same  flower  as  in  figure  11,  but,  be- 
ing considerably  enlarged,  the  stamens  are  more  readily 
seen.  The  same  flower  is  shown  in  figure  13,  divided  longi- 
tudinally tp  show  the  parts  still  more  distinctly,  and  their 
relative  positions. 

Every  so-called  seed  of  the  Strawberry  has  one  pistil 
situated  on  its  apex ;  consequently  it  is  a 
very  important  organ,  inasmuch  as  it  is 
through  this  channel  that  the  influence  of 

£5 

the  pollen  reaches  the  ovule  or  seed  vessel. 

The  stamens  are  situated  on  the  calyx, 
and  they  may  be  artificially  removed  or 
suppressed  by  nature,  in  which  case  we 
have  a  pistillate  flower  which  will  produce 
fruit,  if  the  pistils  are  fertilized  from 
another  flower.  It  is  not  important 
whether  a  flower  produces  its  own  pol- 
len or  is  supplied  from  another  source. 

Figure  14  shows  a  pistillate  flower  of 
the  usual  size,  and  in  figure  15  the  same  enlarged.  By  com- 
paring these  with  the  two  preceding  the  difference  may 
readily  be  observed. 


Fig.    14. — PISTIL- 
LATE  FLOWERS. 


43  SMALL    FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

The  size  of  these  is  also  variable ;  sometimes  they  are 


Fig.  15. — PISTILLATE  FLOWER  ENLARGED. 

considerably  larger  than  those  shown  as  of  natural  size. 

The  flowers  of  Fragaria  grand  (flora   are  larger  than 
those   of    other    species,    and 
sometimes  they  have  seven  pe- 
tals,   as    shown  in  figure    16, 
while  five  is  the  usual  number. 

Another  variation  from  the 
natural  form,  although  very 
rarely  seen,  is  that  of  flowers 
without  any  pistils.  These-, 
of  course,  produce  no  fruit, 
and  they  are  nothing  more  nor 
less  than  degenerated  or  de- 
formed specimens,  and  are  not 
worthy  of  notice  further  than 
to  show  the  peculiar  changes  F 
that  sometimes  occur  in  cultivated  plants. 

The  foregoing  are  the  principal  forms  noticed  in  both 


STRAWBERRY.  43 

wild  and  cultivated  varieties,  but  there  are  various  grada- 
tions from  each  of  these ;  for,  while  the  natural  flower  gen- 
erally contains  about  twenty  stamens,  some  cultivated 
varieties  have  less  than  half  that  number,  while  others,  as 
I  have  shown,  possess  none.  Consequently,  if  a  variety  is 
produced  which  has  flowers  destitute  of  stamens,  it  will  be 
dependent  upon  others  for  fertilization.  Many  such  have 
from  time  to  time  been  produced  and  disseminated  in  the 
last  fifty  years.  That  some  seedlings  produced  perfect 
flowers,  while  others  have  those  that  are  imperfect,  was  ob- 
served in  Europe  at  least  a  hundred  years  ago.  This  pecu- 
liarity was  first  observed  in  the  seedlings  of  the  Hautbois, 
but  afterwards  in  the  seedlings  of  other  species,  although 
it  does  not  appear  to  be  of  so  common  occurrence  in  Eu- 
rope as  in  the  United  States. 

The  reasi.  n  for  this  -I  am  not  able  to  state,  unless  it  be 
because  the  Fragaria  Virginiana,  from  which  the  greater 
portion  of  our  varieties  is  produced,  is  more  subject  to 
the  change  than  other  species.  It  may  be  that  our  climate 
has  something  to  do  with  it,  but  whatever  may  be  the 
cause,  the  effect  is  apparent  in  many  pistillate  varieties  of 
Strawberries  in  cultivation. 

Keen  reported  his  observations  upon  this  variation  in  the 
sexes  of  the  Strawberry,  in  1809,  to  the  London  Horticul- 
tural Society.  This  called  the  attention  of  growers  in  this 
country  to  the  subject,  but  very  little  was  said  or  written 
in  relation  to  it  until  Mr.  Hovey  produced  his  seedling 
Strawberry  in  1834. 

This  being  a  pistillate,  and  the  largest  and  best  variety 
that  had  been  as  yet  produced  in  this  country,  it  gave  rise 
to  an  immense  amount  of  discussion  upon  the  sexuality  of 
the  Strawberry.  There  appear  to  be  a  few  men  who  are 
always  ready  to  ride  any  new  hobby,  whether  it  has  one 
leg  or  more.  Consequently  there  were  a  few  who  imme- 
diately started  the  theory  that  the  botanists  had  made  a 
great  mistake,  and  that  the  Strawberry  was  naturally  di- 


44  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST 

ceceous,  i.  e.,  one  plant  bearing  staminate  flowers  and  the 
other  pistillate  ones. 

Considerable  excitement  was  created  in  consequence,  and 
communications  innumerable  upon  the  subject  were  poured 
into  our  horticultural  journals,  each  writer  claiming  to 
have  discovered  something  new  in  regard  this,  to  them, 
wonderful  phenomenon. 

One  writer  has  for  the  past  ten  years  or  more,  almost 
annually,  given  the  public  a  grand  diagnosis  of  the  case, 
asserting  that  the  pistillate  varieties  were  the  only  ones  to 
be  depended  upon  for  a  large  crop,  and  that  they  were 
naturally  the  most  productive,  while  the  facts  are  that  there 
are  hundreds  of  perfect  flowering  kinds  in  cultivation  that 
are  fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  most  productive  pis- 
tillates.  That  we  have  many  very  excellent  varieties 
among  this  latter  class  no  one  will  deny,  but  that,  as  a 
whole,  they  are  any  better  than  the  others  cannot  be  sub- 
stantiated by  facts. 

There  is  but  one  serious  objection  to  the  pistillate  varie- 
ties, and  that  is,  two  kinds  must  be  grown  to  insure  a  crop 
from  one,  or  a  perfect  flowering  variety  must  be  grown 
near  a  pistillate  to  fertilize  its  flowers,  or  no  fruit  will  be 
produced.  This  is  imperatively  necessary ;  consequently 
the  close  proximity  of  the  two  kinds  has  led  to  much  con- 
fusion, inasmuch  as  the  runners  of  the  two  are  very  liable 
to  intermingle,  unless  great  care  is  exercised  to  prevent  it. 
I  have  usually  found  it  more  difficult  to  get  pure  plants  of 
the  pistillate  varieties  than  of  the  others,  and  the  excuse 
given  by  the  grower  for  the  mixture  was  that  the  variety 
grown  for  the  purpose  of  fertilizing  them  had  become  in- 
termingled. If  this  is  the  only  reason,  it  is  certainly  a 
very  lame  one,  as  there  is  no  necessity  for  the  plants  be- 
ing mixed,  because  setting  the  two  kinds  in  adjacent  beds 
will  answer  every  purpose. 

But  without  presuming  to  advance  a  theory  on  the  sub- 
ject, I  would  suggest  whether  it  is  not  possible  that  varia- 


STRAWBERRY.  45 

tions  may  have  been  made  on  growing  plants  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  pollen  from  different  varieties.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  no  effect  is  produced  except  on  the  seeds,  but 
as  it  is  most  conclusively  proved  in  animal  physiology  that 
the  female  retains  the  effect  of  the  first  impregnation  in  her 
system  for  years,  may  not  the  same  be  true  of  plants,  and 
the  admixture  or  deterioration  of  one,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  another  kind  growing  in  close  proximity,  be  caused 
by  the  absorption  of  qualities  each  from  the  other? 

If  the  effect  of  the  pollen  reaches  no  further  than  the 
seeds,  why  is  not  the  fruit  (receptacle)  produced  without 
them.  But  we  find  that  wherever  the  pistils  are  not  fer- 
tilized the  receptacle  also  fails,  or  if  a  portion  only  is  sup- 
plied with  pollen  then  the  receptacle  is  deformed  in  pro- 
portion. Remove  one,  two,  or  more  pistils  before  they 
are  fertilized,  and  the  berry,  just  at  that  point,  fails  to  en- 
large or  come  to  maturity.  No  seeds,  no  berry,  is  the  rule. 

If  the  Strawberry  seed  was  large  enough  to  be  readily 
examined,  we  should  probably  see  a  difference  in  color  and 
form  just  as  we  notice  in  mixed  varieties  of  corn.  In  the 
latter  we  can  see  that  the  influence  of  cross  fertilization 
extends  further  than  the  seed,  because  its  receptacle  (cob) 
is  often  changed  beneath  the  kernel  to  a  color  similar  to 
that  of  the  variety  which  produced  the  pollen. 

It  is  often  asserted  that  the  Hovey  is  better  when  fertil- 
ized with  one  kind  than  with  another,  and  may  not  this  be 
true  further  than  that  of  being  fully  supplied  with  pollen  ? 

Strawberry  culture  would  probably  have  been  just  as 
far  advanced  if  we  had  never  had  a  pistillate  variety  in 
cultivation,  and  much  confusion  would  have  been  avoided. 
Had  not  Mr.  Hovey  produced  so  good  a  pistillate  variety 
as  he  did,  it  is  very  likely  that  such  kinds  would  have  never 
been  tolerated  by  fruit  growers  anywhere.  But  the  advent 
of  this  variety  gave  a  new  impetus  to  Strawberry  culture, 
and  at  the  present  time  it  is  considered  in  some  sections  as 
a  standard  market  fruit. 


46  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

Another  important  consideration  in  cultivating  pistillate 
varieties  is  to  grow  as  a  fertilizer  a  kind  that  produces  an 
abundance  of  pollen  ;  besides  that  the  two  should  blooin  at 
the  same  time. 

STRUCTURE    OF    THE    PLANTS. 

All  the  varieties  and  species  of  the  Strawberry  have  a 
family  resemblance ;  still  there  is  considerable  difference  in 
the  form  and  structure.  Some  produce  large  stools,  while 
others  naturally  divide  into  individual  plants.  One  of  the 
prominent  features  of  the  Strawberry  is  to  multiply  by 
runners  ;  yet  among  the  Alpine  or  Wood  species  we  have 
varieties  which  produce  none  or  very  sparingly.  There- 
fore it  is  apparent  that  the  different  forms  will  require  dif- 
ferent treatment.  Some  have  long,  slender,  wiry  roots, 
while  others  have  very  short,  fleshy  ones,  each  of  which 
require  a  soil  suited  to  their  growth,  if  the  very  highest 
development  is  obtained. 

Our  native  varieties,  particularly  those  grown  from  the 
F.  Virginiana,  have  longer  and  more  wiry  roots  than 
those  grown  from  the  F.  grandiflora.  Consequently 
they  are  better  suited  to  field  cultivation,  and  where  the 
soil  is  not  frequently  stirred,  or  upon  light  soil,  the  roots  will 
spread  further  in  search  of  food  and  they  are  not  so 
readily  affected  by  drouth. 

There  is  another  peculiarity  in  the  form  of  the  roots 
which  is  worthy  of  attention.  The  native  Strawberry 
produces  stools,  but  the  crowns,  instead  of  adhering  to- 
gether, often  separate  as  they  become  old,  each  producing 
roots  for  self-support. 

To  show  more  fully  the  peculiar  form  usually  observed 
in  the  varieties  of  the  F.  Virginiana  and  F.  grand/flora^ 
I  have  inserted  the  two  following  illustrations  taken  from 
the  Strawberry  Culturist. 

Figure  17  is  an  exact  representation,  half  size,  of  a  plant 
of  the  Boston  Pine  that  is  three  years  old.  While  it 


STRAWBERRY. 


47 


Fig.  17.— OLD  PLAIN T   OF  BOSTON  PINE. 


43  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

shows  a  number  of  crowns,  there  are  not  more  than  two 
united  on  one  stem.  Varieties  of  this  class  naturally  di- 
vide, and  do  not  form  large  or  very  compact  stools  ;  con- 
sequently the  crowns  remain  more  nearly  on  the  level  of 
the  surface  than  when  they  are  united,  as  seen  is  figure  18, 
which  represents  a  plant  of  Triomphe  de  Gand  of  the 
same  age  as  the  other. 

A,  C  and  D  represent  the  side  crowns,  and  B  the  cen- 
tral one ;  E,  the  old  fruit  stalk  of  the  present  season ;  F, 
F,  new  roots  starting  from  the  base  of  the  side  crowns 
above  the  soil.  In  this  variety  the  crowns  are  produced 
almost  on  the  top  of  the  old  ones ;  consequently  the  plants 
are  continually  becoming  higher,  until,  at  last,  the  new 
roots  cannot  reach  the  soil,  and  the  plant  languishes  and 
dies.  Although  the  Strawberry  root  is  perennial,  still 
one  new  root  is  of  more  importance  to  the  plant  than  a 
dozen  old  ones.  The  difference  in  the  structure  of  the 
two  plants  suggests  the  need  of  a  peculiar  cultivation  for 
each,  and  by  experience  we  have  learned  that  many  of 
our  native  varieties  will  remain  productive  for  many  yo;irs, 
even  when  allowed  to  grow  without  cultivation,  while 
very  few  of  the  varieties  of  F.  grandiflora  will  succeed 
under  similar  treatment. 

To  keep  a  succession  of  new  roots  and  continued  vigor 
for  a  number  of  years,  those  varieties  with  roots  similar 
to  the  Triomphe  should  be  grown  in  rows  or  hills,  so  that 
fresh  soil  may  be  drawn  up  to  the  plants  when  required. 
I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  advocating  the  cultiva- 
tion of  plants  for  a  long  time  without  removal,  but  throw 
out  these  hints  for  the  purpose  of  showing  that  frequent  re- 
movals are  more  necessary  with  some  than  with  others. 

PROPAGATION. 

There  are  three  modes  of  propagating  the  Strawberry 
in  use  at  the  present  time,  viz.  :  seeds,  runners  and  divi- 
sions of  the  roots. 


STRAWBERRY. 


49 


Fig.  18. — OLD   PLANT  OF   TKIOMPHE   DE  GAND. 


50  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

BY  SEED. — To  obtain  seeds,  the  fruit  should  be  gath- 
ered when  fully  ripe,  spread  out  and  dried,  thus  preserving 
it  in  the  pulp  ;  or  the  fruit  may  be  crushed  in  water  and 
the  seeds  washed  out  cleanly.  The  good  seeds  will  sink 
and  the  pulp  will  remain  on  the  surface,  from  which  it  can 
be  readily  removed. 

The  seeds  may  be  sown  immediately,  or  kept  until  the 
next  spring. 

The  plan  which  I  have  usually  adopted  in  raising  seed- 
lings is  as  follows  : 

Gather  the  largest  berries  of  the  very  best  varieties  to  be 
obtained,  then  mix  them  with  dry  sand,  crushing  the  fruit, 
and  so  thoroughly  manipulating  the  mass  that  no  two 
seeds  will  remain  together.  Then  sow  the  sand  contain- 
ing the  seed,  either  in  some  half  shady  situation  in  the 
open  ground,  or  in  pots  or  boxes.  The  soil  in  which  they 
are  sown  should  be  light  and  friable,  and  the  seeds  not 
covered  more  than  one-quarter  of  «in  inch  deep.  Keep 
the  soil  moist,  and  the  plants  will  usually  begin  to  appear 
in  four  to  six  weeks  after  sowing.  When  they  have 
formed  four  or  five  leaves  they  may  be  transplanted  into 
the  open  ground — if  they  have  been  started  in  pots  or 
boxes.  When  sown  in  the  open  ground,  it  is  best  to  let 
them  remain  in  the  seed-bed  until  the  following  spring, 
protecting  them  with  straw,  leaves  or  other  similar  ma- 
terial in  winter.  Transplant  into  rows  at  least  two  feet 
apart,  and  the  same  distance  in  the  row ;  keep  off  all  run- 
icrs  the  first  season  and  hoe  often. 

Occasionally  a  seedling  will  produce  fruit  the  second 
season — that  is,  plants  started  in  the  autumn  will  fruit  the 
next  spring ;  but  they  will  not  be  strong  enough  to  bear 
fruit  that  will  be  a  reliable  indication  of  their  future  value. 
It  is  best  to  protect  the  plants  the  first  and  second  winters, 
if  no  longer,  so  that  they  will  have  nothing  to  obstruct 
their  full  development.  The  third  season,  look  over  the 
plants  very  carefully  when  in  bloom,  and  mark  the  sex  of 


STRAWBERRY.  51 

each,  so  that  it  shall  be  known  when  the  fruit  is  ripe 
whether  the  flowers  are  pistillate  or  perfect.  When  a 
variety  has  been  produced  that  promises  well,  it  should  be 
carefully  taken  up  and  planted  by  itself,  that  its  runners 
ma*'  have  an  opportunity  of  taking  root  without  inter- 
mingling with  others. 

The  plant  may  be  removed  just  so  soon  as  the  character 
of  the  fruit  is  determined  upon,  always  choosing  a  wet 
day  if  convenient ;  if  not,  give  the  soil  about  the  plant 
a  good  soaking,  and  then  remove  it  with  as  much  soil  ad- 
hering as  possible.  Shade  it  a  few  days  after  removal  to 
prevent  its  wilting. 

I  would  caution  the  novice  not  to  be  too  sanguine  about 
the  value  of  new  seedlings,  because  they  will  very  often 
appear  much  better  the  first  season  than  ever  after. 

A  few  years  since  I  raised  a  large  number  of  seedlings, 
and  when  ripe,  a  committee  of  six  very  competent  gentle- 
men was  appointed  by  the  Farmers'  Club  of  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  to  examine  and  report  upon  them.  Seventy 
varieties  were  marked  and  described  as  very  promising 
and  worthy  of  further  trial.  Seventy  beds  were  very 
thoroughly  prepared,  and  each  original  plant  carefully 
placed  in  the  center  of  one  of  these  beds.  About  a  dozen 
runners  were  allowed  to  grow  from  each  plant,  and  all 
others  removed.  The  next  season  the  same  committee 
examined  them  again,  and  they  reduced  the  number  to 
seven.  These  were  given  more  room  and  continued  care 
until  another  season,  when  the  number  was  reduced  to 
three. 

I  give  this  as  the  result  of  only  one  experiment ;  others 
might  be  given  with  similar  results.  It  is  a  very  easy 
matter  to  originate  new  varieties,  but  to  get  one  that  shall 
be  superior,  or  even  equal,  to  the  best  now  in  cultivation, 
is  not  so  readily  accomplished  as  some  may  suppose. 

I  would  advise  every  one  to  try,  because  there  is  a 
chance  of  producing  one  that  will  be  better  adapted  to 


52  SMALL   FKUIT    CULTUKIST. 

the  grower's  soil  or  location  than  any  that  could  be  pro- 
duced elsewhere. 

PROPAGATION    BY    RUNNERS. 

The  varieties  mainly  cultivated  in  this  country  are 
propagated  from  the  runners.  The  first  produced  are 
usually  the  strongest  and  best  for  early  planting,  but 
those  that  are  formed  later  in  the  season  are  equally  as  good 
when  they  arrive  at  the  same  age  or  size.  A  few  theorists 
have  maintained  that  the  first  plants  formed  near  the 
parent  stool  were  the  only  ones  that  should  be  used,  and 
that  they  were  far  superior  to  the  others,  and  would  al- 
ways be  more  prolific.  This  assertion  is  not  supported  by 
facts  ;  consequently  is  not  worthy  of  a  moment's  thought. 
To  insure  the  rooting  of  runners,  the  surface  of  the  soil 
should  be  kept  loose  and  open,  and  if  the  weather  is  very 
dry  at  the  time  they  are  forming,  it  is  well  to  go  over  the 
beds  and  cover  the  new  roots  as  they  are  produced. 
When  only  a  few  very  large  and  strong  plants  are  wanted, 
it  is  well  to  pinch  off  the  runner  just  beyond  the  first 
plant,  that  this  may  become  strong  and  vigorous. 

A  good  plan  to  insure  the  safe  removal  of  runners  after 
they  are  rooted,  is  to  sink  a  pot  filled  with  soil  under  each 
joint  of  the  runner  and  let  the  roots  strike  into  it.  In 
two  or  three  weeks  the  pot  may  be  lifted,  and  the  runner 
separated  from  the  parent  plant.  This  is  a  tedious  and 
expensive  mode  and  seldom  necessary. 

It  often  occurs  when  taking  up  plants  in  the  fall  that 
many  of  the  small  ones  are  not  well  rooted,  and,  if  the 
variety  is  scarce  and  valuable,  they  may  be  worth  saving. 
If  so,  cut  off  the  runner  close  to  the  plant,  and  then  dib- 
ble them  close  together  either  in  the  open  ground  or  in  a 
frame,  shade  them,  and  give  plenty  of  water  until  they  are 
rooted.  If  they  do  not  produce  sufficient  roots  before 
cold  weather,  then  protect  them,  and  they  will  usually 
form  roots  before  wanted  for  planting  in  the  spring. 


STRAWBERRY.  53 

The  richer  and  better  the  soil,  the  more  rapid  will  be  the 
production  of  roots,  whether  in  frames  or  the  open  ground. 

I  have  found  it  to  be  a  good  plan  to  cover  the  entire 
surface  of  the  soil  with  fine  compost  of  pure  manure  be- 
fore the  runners  start  in  spring. 

The  runners  draw  their  sustenance  from  the  parent  plant 
until  they  have  formed  roots  sufficient  for  self-support, 
[t  is  therefore  important  that  their  roots  shall  find  some- 
thing to  feed  upon  soon  after  they  are  emitted.  If  water 
can  be  liberally  applied  to  the  beds  it  will  insure  the  emis- 
sion of  roots  very  rapidly. 

PROPAGATION    BY    ROOT    DIVISIONS. 

This  mode  is  seldom  practiced  except  with  the  bush 
Alpine  Strawberries,  which  produce  few  or  no  runners. 

The  best  time  to  divide  these  is  in  the  early  spring,  tak- 
ing up  the  stools  and  dividing  them,  leaving  only  one  crown 
to  the  plant.  If  the  old  root  is  very  long,  it  is  best  to  cut 
off  the  lower  end,  and  plant  as  deep  as  can  be  done  with- 
out covering  the  leaves. 

SOIL    AND    SITUATION. 

There  is  probably  no  one  kind  of  soil  that  is  equally 
well  adapted  to  every  variety.  A  deep,  rich,  sandy  loam 
has  been  more  generally  recommended  than  any  other, 
and  is  perhaps  the  best,  all  things  considered,  that  could 
be  named. 

Still  a  light  sand  or  heavy  clay  may  be,  with  a  very  little 
expense,  brought  into  a  condition  to  produce  abundant 
crops  of  very  fine  Strawberries. 

Some  varieties  seem  to  thrive  best  on  a  soil  in  which 
clay  predominates,  while  others  do  best  in  a  light  rich  sand. 

A  deep  soil,  whether  it  be  naturally  light  or  heavy,  is 
one  of  the  requisites  imperatively  demanded  by  the  Straw- 
berry. If  the  soil  is  naturally  very  wet  it  may  require  un- 
derdraining ;  but  there  are  few  farms  on  which  a  situation 


54  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

may  not  be  found  where  deep  plowing  will  not  render  the 
soil  suitable  for  a  Strawberry  bed.  Thorough  preparation 
of  the  soil  is  the  very  foundation  of  success,  therefore  no 
slovenly  system — such  as  once  plowing  and  harrowing — 
should  be  tolerated ;  but  the  ground  should  not  only  be 
plowed,  but  cross-plowed,  and  if  not  naturally  deep  and 
friable  it  should  be  subsoiled  at  least  sixteen  inches  deep. 
If  the  cultivator  will  only  bear  in  mind  that  one  acre  pre- 
pared in  the  best  manner  will  produce  more  fruit  than 
three  or  four  acres  fitted  as  is  usually  done,  he  will  under- 
stand the  importance  of  doing  it  well. 

I  do  not  believe  that  there  is  one  acre  of  Strawberries 
in  a  thousand,  cultivated  in  this  country,  that  yields  over 
one  half  that  it  would  if  the  ground  was  properly  pre- 
pared before  planting. 

It  is  the  same  with  Strawberries  as  with  many  other 
fruits — too  many  acres  and  too  little  care. 

The  situation  should  be  open  and  airy,  because  in  such 
there  is  less  danger  of  the  blossoms  being  injured  by  late 
spring  frosts. 

To  secure  the  early  ripening  of  the  fruit,  a  southern 
exposure  is  of  course  preferable,  and  for  -a  late  crop  a 
northern  one.  By  planting  the  very  earliest  varieties  in 
a  warm  situation,  and  the  latest  in  a  cool  one,  the  season 
may  be  considerably  lengthened. 

MANURES. 

The  Strawberry  is  not  very  particular  as  to  the  kind  of 
manure  it  receives,  provided  it  is  in  sufficient  quantities. 
To  tell  a  man  who  cultivates  the  Strawberry  on  the  rich 
prairie  soil  of  the  West  that  he  must  apply  manure  to  his 
soil  before  planting,  would  be  considered  a  very  foolish 
recommendation ;  but  to  undertake  to  grow  them  on  al- 
most any  of  our  eastern  lands  without  it  would  be  equally 
absurd.  In  fact,  most  of  our  fruit  growers  in  the  Eastern 
States  determine  their  profits  in  advance,  simply  by  the 


STRAWBERRY.  55 

amount  of  manure  applied  to  the  soil — the  more  abundant 
the  application  the  greater  the  profits. 

All  plants  require  food,  and  it  is  evident  that  if  it  is  not 
in  the  soil  it  must  be  placed  there,  or  no  satisfactory  re- 
sults will  be  obtained.  In  .the  Eastern  States  we  gather 
fruit  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  plant-food  which  we 
place  in  the  soil. 

Old  and  thoroughly  decomposed  barn-yard  manure  is 
scarcely  to  be  excelled  for  the  Strawberry.  But  it  is  often 
the  case  that  a  sufficient  quantity  of  this  cannot  be  ob- 
tained, and  if  so,  then  the  next  best  thing  to  be  done  is 
to  make  a  compost  of  barn-yard  manure  and  muck,  leaves 
or  sods,  using  one  load  of  manure  and  two  of  either  of 
the  others.  Mix  them  together,  and  let  them  remain  in  a 
heap  for  three  months  or  more,  not  forgetting  to  turn  it 
over  at  least  once  a  month. 

In  heavy  soils  fresh  manure  may  be  used  without  injury, 
and  if  a  liberal  application  of  peat  or  light  friable  muck  is 
given  it  will  be  very  beneficial.  In  sandy  soils  a  compost 
of  muck  and  manure  is  one  of  the  best  fertilizers  that  can 
be  applied.  In  fact,  pure  muck  from  the  swamps,  placed 
where  it  can  be  frequently  stirred,  will  become  in  one 
season  suitable  to  be  applied  directly  to  the  roots  of  al- 
most any  plant. 

If  lime,  ashes,  spent  hops  from  the  breweries,  castor 
pomace  or  any  similar  materials  be  added,  even  in  small 
quantities,  it  will  assist  very  much  in  its  decomposition 
and  fitting  it  for  the  use  of  plants.  There  are  thousands 
of  acres  of  land  in  the  Eastern  States  that  are  now  pro- 
ducing nothing,  not  even  weeds,  because  manure  cannot 
be  obtained  in  sufficient  quantities  to  make  them  fertile, 
and  yet  in  many  instances  these  very  acres  are  bordered 
with  muck-beds  which  are  nothing  more  or  less  than  inex- 
haustible deposits  of  manure. 

The  time  is  probably  not  far  distant  when  these  mines 


56  SMALL   FRUIT  CULTURIST. 

of  wealth  will  be  worked  to  an  extent  not  dreamed  of  at 
the  present  time. 

Concentrated  manures — such  as  bone,  guano,  poudrette^ 
&c. — are  sometimes  used  upon  the  Strawberry  with  good 
results.  It  requires  some  care  in  their  application,  or  the 
plants  are  liable  to  be  injured  thereby. 

Ashes  are  also  valuable,  particularly  on  sandy  soils. 
They  may  be  applied  by  scattering  upon  the  surface  at 
the  rate  of  from  ten  to  twenty  bushels  per  acre.  A  far 
more  preferable  mode  is  to  compost  them  with  muck  or 
leaf  mold  from  the  woods,  but  they  should  never  be 
mixed  with  manure,  for  they  will  cause  it  to  give  off,  in 
the  form  of  gases,  the  very  materials  which  should  be  re* 
tained. 

Lime  is  said  to  be  injurious  to  the  Strawberry,  particu- 
larly when  applied  directly  or  alone.  I  have  had  no  per- 
sonal experience  with  it  upon  the  Strawberry,  but  have 
known  several  instances  of  failure,  the  cause  of  which 
was  attributed  to  the  use  of  lime. 

TIME    TO    PLANT. 

Spring  and  fall  are  the  two  seasons  in  which  the  Straw- 
berry is  usually  transplanted.  Although  with  the  requisite 
care  the  operation  may  be  performed  at  any  time  during 
the  summer,  the  spring  seems  to  be  the  more  natural 
and  preferable  one  of  the  two. 

The  plants  are  then  just  starting  into  growth  after  their 
long  rest.  The  small  amount  of  foliage  which  has  sur- 
vived the  winter  is  fully  matured  ;  consequently  it  calls 
for  very  little  nutriment  from  the  roots.  The  warm  spring 
rains  supply  the  plants  with  moisture,  and  the  very  atmos- 
phere of  this  season  appears  to  be  full  of  life. 

Fall  planting  is  usually  performed  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember in  the  Northern  States. 

This  season  has  one  advantage,  and  that  is :  if  the 
plants  can  be  set  so  early  that  they  will  become  firmly 


STRAWBERRY.  57 

rooted  before  cold  weather,  they  will  sometimes  produce 
a  partial  crop  the  ensuing  season,  as  well  as  make  a 
stronger  growth,  than  if  the  operation  is  deferred  until 
spring. 

When  one  has  the  plants  so  near  at  hand  that  they  can 
be  removed  without  having  their  roots  exposed  to  the  air 
for  a  few  moments  even,  besides  having  an  opportunity  of 
selecting  rainy  or  cloudy  weather  for  the  operation,  then 
it  may  be  done  in  the  autumn  with  success.  But  when 
the  plants  are  to  be  brought  from  a  distance,  and  when, 
as  it  will  often  occur,  they  arrive  in  a  time  of  drouth,  fall 
planting  becomes  a  doubtful  advantage.  I  do  not  wish  to 
discourage  fall  trade  in  Strawberry  plants ;  yet  from  an 
experience  extending  over  many  years  in  both  buying  and 
selling-plants,  I  conclude  that  fall  planting  is  far  more  un- 
certain than  spring. 

PREPARATION    OF    PLANTS. 

When  plants  are  taken  up  in  spring  there  will  be  more 
or  less  dead  leaves  upon  them ;  these  should  all  be  re- 
moved, leaving  only  those  that  appear  fresh  and  green. 
Some  roots  will  be  broken,  and  the  sound  ones,  if  long, 
cannot  readily  be  placed  in  the  ground  again  without  be- 
ing crowded  or  otherwise  thrown  out  of  their  natural 
position.  To  avoid  any  difficulty  on  this  point,  I  always 
shorten  them  to  at  least  one  half  their  length. 

Figure  19  shows  the  position  of  the  roots  on  a  medium 
or  small  plant  before  removal,  A,  being  the  runner  con- 
necting it  with  the  parent  plant ;  B,  a  new  runner  on 
which  other  plants  would  have  been  formed,  provided  tho 
penson  had  been  favorable  for  their  growth;  C,  D, tho 
cross  line  showing  where  the  roots  should  be  cut  after  the 
plant  is  taken  up.  This  shortening  causes  them  to  throw 
out  a  new  set  of  fibrous  roots  from  the  cut  ends. 

It  also  causes  roots  to  be  emitted  more  abundantly  from 
near  the  crown  than  would  have  been  the  case  if  the  roots 
3* 


58 


SMALL    FRUIT    CULTURIST. 


had  not  been  shortened.  Figure  20  shows  the  same  plant 
as  it  will  appear  after  having  been  planted  a  few  weeks. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  trim  each  plant  separately,  but  a 
handful  may  be  pruned  at  one  cut  of  the  knife.  Plants 
thus  pruned  are  more  readily  planted,  and  the  roots  are 


Fig.  19. — WHERE   TO  PRUNE   ROOTS. 

easily  spread  out  at  the  time,  which  is  quite  important, 
because  each  root  can  produce  rootlets  without  being  en- 
tangled with  others. 

In  transplanting  in  the  autumn  it  is  unnecessary  to 
shorten  the  roots,  unless  they  are  so  long  that  they  cannot 
be  conveniently  planted  entire.  The  roots  of  the  Straw- 
berry continue  to  grow  from  the  extreme  ends  until  cold 
weather,  and  when  moved  in  fall  or  summer  the  roots 


STBAWBEKKY. 


59 


should  be  taken  up  entire,  and  carefully  spread  out  when 
again  placed  in  the  soil.  If  the  plants  have  been  out  of 
the  ground  long  enough  to  cause  the  roots  to  have 
changed  color  and  become  dark  and  wilted,  then  they 
should  be  treated  the  same  as  those  removed  in  spring. 


Fig.  20. — GROWTH  OP  PRUNED  ROOTS. 

All  of  the  largest  leaves  should  be  cut  off  from  plants 
when  removed,  leaving  but  two  or  three  of  the  center 
leaves,  as  a  plant  is  far  more  likely  to  live  if  only  this 
number  is  allowed  to  remain  on  it  than  if  none  are  re- 
moved. 

We  are  now  supposing  that  the  plants  are  taken  up 
without  any  soil  adhering  to  the  roots.  If  each  plant  is 


60  SMALL   PKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

moved  with  a  ball  of  earth,  then  there  will  be  no  necessity 
for  reducing  the  number  of  leaves,  because  the  connection 
between  the  root  and  soil  will  not  be  broken,  or,  at  least, 
not  entirely  separated ;  consequently  they  can  continue 
to  absorb  moisture  and  nutriment  for  the  support  of  all 
he  leaves. 

Sometimes  it  may  be  advisable  to  "  puddle  "  the  roots, 
^8  it  is  called,  before  planting.  This  operation  is  per- 
formed by  mixing  water  with  soil  until  it  is  of  the  consis- 
tency of  thin  mortar ;  then  dip  the  roots  into  it,  coating 
them  with  the  mixture,  which  excludes  the  air  and  pre- 
vents wilting  so  long  as  it  remains  moist.  A  tenacious 
clay  makes  the  best  puddle,  but  it  will  sometimes  adhere 
so  closely  to  the  roots  as  to  become  injurious.  It  is  well 
to  puddle,  before  packing,  the  roots  of  plants  that  are  to 
be  transported  a  long  distance,  and  consequently  be  a  long 
time  on  the  journey.  But  the  puddling  should  be  washed 
off  and  the  roots  trimmed  before  planting  again. 

Roots  that  have  been  entirely  excluded  from  the  air  for 
any  considerable  time  are  likely  to  become  soured,  and  it 
is  best  to  clean  and  refresh  them  with  pure  wate*  before 
again  placing  them  in  the  ground. 

PLANTING    AND    CULTIVATION. 

There  is  no  one  operation  of  more  importance  to  the 
future  success  of  a  Strawberry  bed  than  careful  planting. 
Some  cultivators  plant  with  a  dibble,  making  a  small  hole 
in  which  the  roots  are  thrust,  all  crowded  together  in  a 
mass.  Plants  may  live  under  such  treatment,  but  certainly 
cannot  thrive  so  well  as  though  their  roots  were  carefully 
spread  out  in  a  natural  position. 

A  common  garden  trowel  should  always  be  used,  and  a 
hole  made  in  the  soil  large  enough  to  admit  the  roots 
without  crowding.  Set  the  plants  just  so  deep  that 
all  of  the  roots  will  be  covered,  and  no  deeper ;  for  if  the 
crown  is  buried  it  is  very  liable  to  decay,  particularly  in  a 


STRAWBERRY.  61 

heavy  soil.  If  a  handful  of  very  fine  compost  or  manure 
is  mixed  with  the  soil  around  them  at  the  time  of  plant- 
ing it  will  very  materially  assist  in  their  future  growth. 

It  is  always  best  to  select  a  cloudy  day  for  planting,  if 
possible,  but  when  only  a  few  are  to  be  set  out  they  may 
be  watered  and  shaded,  and  their  growth  insured  without 
any  regard  to  the  weather.  The  distance  between  the 
plants  will  depend  upon  what  kind  of  cultivation  is  to  be 
given  them.  The  oldest  method  of  field  culture  in  this 
country,  and  the  one  practiced  upon  thousands  of  acres 
in  the  Eastern  States  at  the  present  time,  is  to  plant  in 
rows  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  feet  apart,  placing 
the  plants  about  a  foot  distant  in  the  rows. 

The  beds  are  hoed  during  the  early  part  of  summer,  or 
until  the  runners  cover  the  ground,  after  which  no  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  them  until  next  spring.  Then  paths  about 
a  foot  wide,  and  at  a  distance  of  four  feet  from  each  other, 
are  made,  thus  forming  beds  with  narrow  paths,  in  which 
the  pickers  are  expected  to  stand  when  gathering  the  fruit. 

Two  or  three  crops  are  gathered  from  these  beds  before 
any  change  is  made  or  cultivation  is  given,  except  that  of 
hoeing  or  plowing  out  the  paths  each  season  before  pick- 
ing time. 

When  the  beds  have  become  so  much  crowded  with 
weeds  and  plants  that  the  fruit  is  likely  to  entirely  fail,  a 
plow  is  run  through  the  center  of  each  bed,  forming  a 
new  path,  the  runners  being  allowed  to  take  root  and  fill 
up  the  old  ones.  Another  crop  or  two  is  taken,  and  then 
the  paths  are  again  changed.  Sometimes  the  beds  are 
burned  over  in  the  fall  after  the  weeds  have  died  down 
and  become  dry  ;  or  a  heavy  harrow  is  drawn  over  them 
soon  after  the  crop  is  gathered,  tearing  up  the  weeds  and 
a  greater  part  of  the  plants ;  while  at  the  same  time  it 
breaks  up  the  soil  so  that  the  few  remaining  plants  will 
grow  with  more  vigor,  and  there  will  be  room  for  the  new 


62  SMALL   FKUIT    CULTURIST. 

runners  to  take  root.     In  this  manner  the  same  beds  are 
cropped  for  ten  or  fifteen  years. 

It  is  not  the  fancy  improved  varieties  that  are  treated 
in  this  manner,  but  the  older  kinds,  which  are  but  a  slight 
improvement  upon  the  common  wild  berry.  The  forego- 
ing method  of  cultivation  is  certainly  not  to  be  recom- 
mended, but  I  have  mentioned  it  because  there  are  proba- 
bly as  many  acres  of  Strawberries  grown  and  treated  in 
this  manner  as  are  grown  under  any  other  system.  Our 
eastern  cities,  particularly  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Baltimore,  have  been  supplied  almost  entirely,  until  with- 
in a  very  few  years  past,  from  these  half  cultivated  fields. 
We  must  conclude  that  such  a  method  of  cultivation  is 
profitable;  if  not,  it  would  have  been  abandoned  long 
ago,  although  it  is  apparent  that  those  who  follow  this 
system  are  not  afflicted  with  the  spirit  of  progress. 

BIENNIAL    SYSTEM. 

Another  method  which  has  of  late  years  become  very 
popular  is  that  of  planting  in  beds,  say  two  or  three  rows 
in  each,  placing  the  plants  about  eighteen  inches  apart 
each  way,  and  then  leave  paths  of  about  two  feet.  The 
plants  are  hoed  and  all  weeds  destroyed  as  they  appear. 
The  runners  are  all  allowed  to  grow,  and  the  entire  sur- 
face is  covered  with  plants,  except  a  path  of  about  two 
feet  in  width  between  the  beds.  These  beds  are  allowed  to 
produce  two  crops,  and  then  the  plants  are  plowed  under 
and  some  other  crop  grown  on  the  land  for  one  or  two 
seasons,  when  it  is  again  planted  with  Strawberries,  if  de- 
sirable. This  is  probably  one  of  the  very  best  systems  in 
vogue.  The  first  crop  is  sometimes  the  best,  but  usually 
the  second  is  considered  as  the  main  one. 

It  is  much  less  trouble  to  plant  a  new  bed  than  to  clean 
the  weeds  out  of  an  old  one ;  besides,  a  first  rate  crop  can- 


STKAWBEKRY.  63 

not  be  expected  from  a  bed  where  the  plants  have  be- 
come old  and  crowded. 

A  few  Strawberry  growers  renew  their  beds  by  plowing 
up  all  but  a  small  strip  of  about  a  foot  wide,  leaving  one 
of  these  every  four  feet.  Then,  by  passing  a  cultivator  or 
harrow  between  these  rows,  the  ground  is  leveled  so  that 
the  new  runners  can  readily  take  root. 

ANNUAL    SYSTEM. 

This  is  one  of  the  neatest  systems  in  use,  as  weeds  have 
no  chance  for  getting  a  foothold,  unless  the  cultivator  is 
very  negligent.  The  plants  are  put  out  in  rows  two  to 
three  feet  apart,  and  about  a  foot  apart  in  the  row.  They 
are  carefully  cultivated  the  first  season,  a  crop  taken  the 
second,  and  then  plowed  under.  To  insure  a  full  crop  the 
soil  must  be  made  very  rich,  and  the  planting  done  in  the 
fall  or  early  spring,  and  in  the  most  careful  manner. 

PLANTING    IN    ROWS    OR    HILLS. 

There  are  but  few  varieties  that  succeed  so  well  when 
restricted  to  hills  for  a  number  of  years  as*  when  allowed 
to  produce  runners.  The  varieties  of  F.  grandiflora  are 
better  adapted  to  this  system  than  others,  because  they 
naturally  produce  large,  compact  plants. 

The  usual  method  is  to  plant  in  rows  three  feet  apart, 
with  plants  a  foot  apart  in  the  row.  All  runners  are  cut 
oif  as  soon  as  they  appear,  and  the  beds  frequently  hoed, 
or  kept  clean  with  a  cultivator.  In  the  fall  the  entire  sur- 
face is  covered  with  a  mulching  of  leaves,  straw  or  coarse 
bog  grass.  The  plants  are  covered  as  well  as  the  ground 
between  them.  In  spring  the  covering  should  be  removed 
from  the  crowns  of  the  plants,  but  left  on  between  them, 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  fruit  clean  and  the  ground 
moist.  After  the  fruit  has  been  gathered,  sufficient  mulch- 
mg  may  be  applied  to  keep  down  all  weeds,  or  all  of  it 


64  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTTJRIST. 

may  be  removed,  and  a  plow  passed  between  the  rows  to 
break  up  the  soil,  which  will  have  become  quite  compact 
from  being  frequently  traveled  over  in  gathering  the 
fruit. 

New  plants  may  be  allowed  to  take  root  in  the  rows 
between  the  old  stools,  thus  bringing  them  the  second 
season  into  what  is  termed  row  culture.  Some  varieties 
will  remain  productive  for  several  years  under  this  treat- 
ment, but  usually  three  or  four  years  will  be  as  long  as 
they  can  be  relied  upon  for  a  remunerative  crop.  I  have 
practiced  this  system  with  many  varieties,  and  believe 
that  more  fruit  per  acre  can  be  produced  (particularly  with 
the  foreign  kinds)  than  by  any  other  system.  One  strong 
stool,  with  plenty  of  room  for  its  roots,  and  with  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  covered  with  mulching,  will  give  more  and 
larger  fruit  than  twenty  plants  that  are  crowded,  and 
upon  an  unprotected  soil. 

For  general  field  culture,  and  with  most  of  our  native 
varieties,  the  biennial  or  annual  system  would  probably 
be  less  troublesome  and  equally  as  profitable. 

When  pistillate  varieties  are  grown  they  should  be  kept 
in  separate  beds,  and  every  alternate  one  should  be  n  per- 
fect flowering  variety,  and  one  that  blooms  at  the  same 
time  with  the  pistillate.  This  bed  need  not  be  more  than 
half  the  width  of  the  others. 

GARDEN    CULTURE. 

The  same  systems  recommended  for  field  culture  are 
equally  applicable  to  the  garden,  but  usually  greater  care 
will  be  given  to  a  small  bed  than  to  a  large  one. 

Water  may  be  applied  so  that  the  plants  shall  neve* 
suffer  for  the  want  of  it.  Liquid  manure  should  be  ap- 
plied, if  very  large  fruit  is  desired,  in  addition  to  mak- 
ing the  soil  rich. 

Different  varieties  may  also  be  planted  ;  for  it  is  not  the 
most  profitable  market  fruit  that  is  always  of  the  best 


STRAWBERRY.  65 

quality.  In  fact,  a  very  hard,  firm  berry,  such  as  we 
would  select  for  market  purposes,  is  seldom  so  highly  fla- 
vored as  those  which  are  more  delicate. 

By  giving  an  abundance  of  water,  with  liquid  manure, 
a  second  crop  is  often  produced  upon  many  of  our  com- 
mon varieties.  To  insure  a  late  crop,  the  first  one  must 
not  be  allowed  to  mature,  but  the  flowers  should  be  re- 
moved so  soon  as  they  appear  in  spring. 

Then  keep  off  all  new  runners,  and  give  plenty  of  water, 
and  a  fine  crop  in  August  or  September  is  almost  certain. 

The  Boston  Pine  I  have  found  to  be  one  of  the  best 
varieties  for  producing  a  late  crop  when  treated  in  this 
manner. 

The  monthly  Alpines  are  excellent  varieties  for  garden 
culture,  although  they  do  not  produce  very  large  fruit. 
Give  them  plenty  of  moisture  and  a  rich  soil,  and  thert. 
will  bo  but  few  days  from  May  to  winter  in  which  a  dish 
of  Strawberries  may  not  be  gathered  from  a  bed  of  mod- 
erate size. 

The  Bush  Alpines  are  less  troublesome  than  those  that 
produce  runners. 

This  class  of  Strawberries  vary  but  little  when  grown 
from  seed,  except  that  the  fruit  produced  on  the  seedlings 
will  be  considerably  larger  for  the  first  two  or  three  crops 
than  ever  afterwards. 

This  peculiarity  of  the  Alpines  is  well  known  in  Europe, 
and  the  growers  of  these  kinds  always  renew  their  beds 
with  seedlings,  and  never  depend  upon  the  runners  of  old 
ones  for  making  new  beds  or  plantations.  It  is  no  uncom- 
mon thing  to  find  berries  an  inch  in  diameter  on  young 
seedling  plants  of  Alpines,  while  on  old  beds  they  will 
scarcely  average  more  than  one-half  of  this  size. 

The  seeds  may  be  saved  and  sown  in  the  same  manner 
as  recommended  for  other  kinds. 

The  amateur  who  only  cultivates  a  few  Strawberry 
plants  in  his  garden  will  appreciate  the  fruit  he  grows  in 


66  SMAI^L  FKUIT  CULTTJRIST. 

his  own  grounds  far  above  any  market  value ;  therefore 
the  cost  of  production  is  of  very  little  importance,  pro- 
vided the  results  are  satisfactory. 

It  is  not-  to  be  expected  that  a  man  in  moderate  cir- 
cumstances will  continue  to  grow  fruit  which  costs  more 
than  it  is  worth  ;  still  there  is  a  pleasure  in  producing  ex- 
tra fine  fruit,  even  if  there  is  no  great  profit  in  the  opera- 
tion. Besides,  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  extra  care  and 
cultivation  will  not,  as  a  rule,  prove  to  be  as  profitable  as 
that  which  is  generally  called  good  culture. 

I  have  made  several  experiments  for  the  purpose  of 
thoroughly  testing  extra  cultivation,  most  of  which  have 
been  quite  satisfactory. 

A  few  years  since  I  prepared  a  sixteenth  of  an  acre  by 
trenching  it  two  feet  deep,  applying  twelve  large  two 
horse  loads  of  pure,  well-rotted  cow  manure,  thorough!) 
incorporating  it  with  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  one  foot. 

I  then  planted  this  bed  with  the  Triomphe  de  Gand 
Strawberry,  placing  the  plants  about  two  feet  apart  each 
way.  A  few  runners  were  allowed  to  take  root  between  the 
plants  in  the  rows,  but  I  removed  all  others.  The  ground 
was  hoed  often,  and  in  winter  the  plants  were  protected 
with  a  coat  of  salt  hay  two  inches  in  depth.  The  whole 
expense  of  preparing  the  bed-planting,  hoeing  and  mulch- 
ing up  to  the  time  of  picking  the  first  crop  was  fifty  dol- 
lars. The  bed  yielded  a  little  over  four  hundred  quarts, 
which,  at  the  low  price  of  twenty-five  cents  per  quart, 
would  have  given  a  fair  profit.  The  next  crrp  was  fully 
equal  to  the  first,  and  the  expense  incurred  to  produce  it 
but  very  little  in  comparison  to  the  first.  This  bed  con 
tinued  in*  bearing  for  five  years,  and  even  then  the  land 
was  in  good  condition  for  any  other  crop.  There  are  prob- 
ably many  soils  that  are  naturally  as  rich  as  this  bed  was 
after  being  prepared,  but  in  this  instance  it  was  impera- 
tively necessary  to  enrich  the  ground  to  get  even  a  mod- 
erate crop. 


STRAWBERRY.  67 

An  abundance  of  moisture  is  one  of  the  requisites  for 
producing  large  fruit,  and  the  amateur  should  not  fail  to 
see  that  his  plants  receive  it,  particularly  at  the  time  when 
the  fruit  is  ripening.  Mulching  the  beds  is  a  sure  method 
of  keeping  the  soil  moist,  besides  it  prevents  the  fruit 
from  getting  splashed  during  violent  showers.  The  short 
mowings  of  grass  from  a  lawn  make  an  excellent  mulch, 
besides  it  looks  very  neat — much  more  so  than  straw  or 
leaves. 

In  Europe  a  tile  is  sometimes  used  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  the  fruit  clean,  as  well  as  for  covering  the  soil 
and  keeping  it  moist. 

These  tiles  are  about  an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  and 
twelve  inches  square,  and  in  two 
parts,  as  shown  in  figure  21.  The 
hole  in  the  center  is  about  four  inches 
in  diameter.  The  plants  are  placed 
a  foot  apart  in  the  rows,  and  be- 
fore the  fruit  begins  to  ripen  the 
tile  is  placed  about  them. 

If  the  rows  are  only  a  foot  apart,     Fig.  21. -STRAWBERRY 
then    the     whole    surface    will  be  TILE. 

covered,  the  soil  will  be  kept  moist,  and  the  fruit 
clean.  If  water  is  required  during  the  time  of  ripening, 
it  can  be  applied  directly  to  the  plant  by  passing  to  the  soil 
througli  the  hole  in  the  tile.  These  tiles  could  probably 
be  obtained  at  any  pottery  or  brickyard  if  ordered  a  few 
months  in  advance  of  the  time  they  were  wanted  for  use. 
It  would  be  necessary  to  remove  the  tile  after  the  fruiting 
season  was  over,  and  the  soil  should  be  worked  over 
among  the  plants;  if  not  it  would  become  heavy  and 
soured  from  being  excluded  from  the  air. 

A  newly  patented  article,  answering  a  similar  purpose, 
has  just  made  its  appearance  in  this  country.  It  is  called 
H.  A.  Fuller  &  Co.'s  Patent  Strawberry  Yase,  and  is 
manufactured  by  the  above-named  firm  at  Norwich,  Conn. 


68  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTUKIST. 

Figure  22  shows  the  form  of  the  vase,  with  a  plant  grow- 
ing within  it.  Not  having  tested  this  vase,  I  cannot  re- 
commend it  from  experience ;  yet 
it  appears  to  be  a  good  thing  for 
the  purpose  designed. 

The  manufacturers  claim  that 
it  protects  the  fruit  from  dirt  and 
the  vines  from  weeds,  and  that, 
by  using  it,  double  the  amount  of 
fruit  will  be  produced  on  a  given 
space  than  when  the  vines  are 
cultivated  in  the  ordinary  method.  Fi^  ^.-STRAWBERRY  VASE. 

The  runners  are  kept  trimmed  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
vase,  thereby  concentrating  the  strength  of  the  plant,  and 
larger  and  better  fruit  will  necessarily  be  the  result. 

The  flower  stems  will  also  grow  much  longer  by  being 
inclosed  in  the  neck  of  the  vase,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  will  be  supported  by  it,  and  the  fruit  will  rest  or  hang 
over  its  upper  part.  The  peculiar  form  of  this  vase  will 
not  only  insure  the  reception  by  the  plant  cf  a  greater 
part  of  the  water  that  falls  in  the  form  of  rain,  but  will 
make  a  direct  application  more  convenient  when  applied 
artificially.  When  this  vase  is  to  be  used  the  plants  should 
be  set  one  foot  apart  each  way,  leaving  a  path  every  four 
rows.  The  vases  will  touch  each  other,  and  shade  the 
ground,  with  the  exception  of  the  paths,  which  may  be 
covered  with  a  mulch  of  saw-dust,  tan  or  other  material. 

The  present  price,  I  am  informed,  for  small  quantities 
is  twelve  dollars  per  hundred  ;  consequently  they  will 
scarcely  be  used  by  those  who  grow  Strawberries  for 
profit,  unless  the  yield  of  fruit  is  increased  in  proportion 
to  the  outlay. 

Nevertheless,  all  these  peculiar  contrivances  are  of  in- 
terest to  the  amateur,  besides,  it  was  by  improved  methods 
of  cultivation  and  extra  care  that  our  largest  and  best 
varieties  were  first  produced. 


STRAWBERRY.  69 

Those  old  and  long  celebrated  English  varieties,  Keen's 
Seedling  and  British  Queen,  were  not  produced  from  seeds 
gathered  from  neglected  plants,  but  from  those  which 
had  been  stimulated  by  extra  culture.  And  if  we  expect 
to  keep  on  improving  we  must  stimulate  our  plants  into  a 
vigorous  growth — not  only  the  ones  from  which  we  gather 
the  seeds,  but  the  seedlings  themselves. 

To  produce  large  and  extra  fine  specimens,  only  a  few 
berries  should  be  allowed  to  mature  upon  the  plant 
When  there  are  several  fruit  stems,  select  three  or  four  of 
the  strongest,  and  destroy  the  others;  also  remove  all  ex- 
cept two  or  three  berries  from  each. 

Large  Strawberries  are  quite  the  fashion  at  the  present 
time,  and  the  amateur  cultivator  generally  takes  the  lead, 
merely  because  he  applies  the  requisite  means  for  produc- 
ing the  results. 

A  few  years  since  an  amateur  Strawberry  grower 
brought  some  monstrous  fruit  to  an  exhibition  held  in 
one  of  our  eastern  cities,  and  they  were  so  much  larger 
than  anything  that  had  heretofore  been  shown,  that  he 
was  offered  and  accepted  a  very  large  price  for  the  entire 
stock  of  this  variety. 

The  purchaser  sent  his  gardener  for  them  soon  after, 
and  when  he  took  up  the  plants  he  found  the  beds  so  filled 
with  offal  from  a  slaughter-house  that  the  operation  of 
removing  the  plants  was  anything  but  a  pleasant  one. 
Here  were  cause  and  effect  but  little  separated.  This  is 
but  one  instance  among  the -many  that  might  be  given  to 
show  that  great  results  in  fruit  growing  of  any  kind  are 
only  derived  by  direct  effort  on  the  part  of  the  producer. 

Old  plants  seldom  produce  as  large  berries  as  young 
ones,  and  a  fresh  stock  should  always  be  provided,  either 
by  allowing  a  few  plants  in  the  fruiting  beds  to  throw  out 
runners,  or  by  setting  a  few  in  separate  beds  every  year 
for  that  particular  purpose. 

Plants  that  have  been  highly  stimulated  will  seldom 


70  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

last  more  than  two  or  three  years,  and  they  will  frequently 
fail  after  producing  one  large  crop.  The  safest  plan  is 
not  to  expect  more  than  two  crops,  and  to  make  the  beds 
upon  fresh  soil,  where  no  Strawberries  have  been  grown 
for  at  least  two  seasons. 

FORCING    STRAWBERRIES. 

The  term  forcing  is  generally  used  to  indicate  that  a 
fruit  is  made  to  ripen  at  other  than  its  season.  In  Europe 
the  forcing  of  Strawberries  has  been  extensively  practiced 
for  a  long  time,  but  in  thiu  country  very  little  attention 
has  been  paid  to  this  system  of  cultivation  until  within  the 
past  few  years. 

There  are  few  plants  that  will  grow  more  readily,  or 
produce  more  fruit  in  proportion  to  the  expense  incurred, 
than  the  Strawberry  when  grown  under  glass. 

When  only  a  few  plants  are  to  be  forced,  and  the  object 
is  merely  to  obtain  fruit  a  few  weeks  in  advance  of  the 
usual  time,  then  a  common  hot  bed  may  be  used  for  the 
purpose.  The  plants,  however,  should  be  prepared  the 
season  previous,  and  stored  where  they  can  be  had  when 
wanted  in  early  spring. 

An  ordinary  green-house,  such  as  is  used  for  tender  exotic 
plants,  will  answer  the  purpose.  But  one  which  has  a 
roof  so  low  down  that  the  plants  will  be  within  two  or 
three  feet  of  the  glass  is  better  than  one  that  is  consider- 
ably higher ;  besides,  it  will  take  much  less  fire  to  heat  a 
low  house  than  a  high  one. 

The  soil  in  which  the  plants  are  to  be  grown  should  be 
exceedingly  rich.  A  compost  made  of  three-fourths  old 
sods  or  turfy  loam,  and  one-fourth  barn-yard  manure,  will 
be  found  excellent  for  this  purpose,  and  if  there  is  consid- 
srable  cow  manure  among  the  latter  so  much  the  better. 

Mix  these  materials  together,  and  let  them  become 
thoroughly  decomposed  before  using.  The  mor  e  frequently 


STRAWBERRY.  71 

the  compost  is  turned  over,  the  less  time  it  will  require 
for  its  decomposition. 

Leaf  mold  from  the  woods  or  friable  muck,  with  a  little 
addition  of  pure  sand,  will  answer  in  the  place  of  sods. 

PREPARATION    OF    PLANTS. 

When  the  first  runners  appear  upon  plants  in  the  open 
ground,  fill  as  many  three  inch  pots  with  the  compost  as 
you  desire,  and  set  them  near  the  old  plants  from  which 
you  wish  to  take  those  for  forcing,  placing  the  top  of  the 
pot  just  level  with  the  surface  of  the  soil.  When  the 
young  plants  on  the  runners  begin  to  show  roots,  place 
one  on  the  soil  in  each  pot,  and  lay  a  stone  or  a  little  soil 
on  the  runner  to  keep  it  in  its  place. 

The  end  of  the  runner  should  be  pinched  off  just  beyond 
the  plant,  so  that  it  will  receive  all  the  nutriment  furnished 
by  the  parent.  When  the  young  plant  has  become  rooted 
in  the  pot,  it  should  be  taken  up  and  the  runner  cut  off 
close  to  the  plant ;  then  set  the  pots  away  in  an  open  and 
airy  place  for  a  few  weeks,  being  careful  not  to  let  them 
suffer  for  the  want  of  water.  Set  them  on  flat  stones, 
bricks  or  boards,  so  that  no  worms  can  have  access  to  the 
pots  through  the  hole  in  the  bottom. 

When  the  plants  have  remained  in  the  pots  a  few  weeks, 
they  should  be  shifted  into  larger  ones.  Some  prefer  to 
place  them  in  five-inch  pots,  and  afterwards  shift  into  six 
or  eight-inch  pots,  in  which  they  are  to  be  fruited,  while 
others  make  but  one  shift  from  the  small  pots.  It  will 
make  but  little  difference,  as  either  plan  will  work  well  if 
carefully  done.  The  ball  of  earth  containing  the  roots 
should  not  be  broken  when  re-potting,  but  preserved 
whole.  A  few  pieces  of  broken  pots  or  brick  should  be 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  these  large  pots  for  drainage. 

There  are  a  few  gardeners  who  assume  that  drainage  is 
of  no  importance,  but  from  my  own  experience  of  several 


72  SMALL   FKTTTT   CULTUEIST. 

years  with  a  great  variety  of  plants,  I  cannot  indorse  this 
new  theory  of  no  drainage,  particularly  when  the  plants 
grown  in  pots  naturally  succeed  best  in  a  soil  that  is 
deep  and  moderately  dry.  With  the  small  pots,  drainage 
is  of  little  importance,  but  with  those  of  larger  size  all 
surplus  moisture  should  be  allowed  to  pass  through,  leav- 
ing only  what  will  usually  be  retained  by  the  soil. 

The  plants,  after  they  have  been  placed  in  the  large 
pots,  may  be  set  close  together,  or  plunged  up  to  the  rim  of 
the  pot  in  the  open  ground  until  wanted,  care  being  given 
to  keep  them  growing  vigorously  until  within  a  few  weeks 
of  the  time  they  are  to  be  placed  in  the  forcing-house. 
Water  should  be  gradually  withheld,  so  that  the  plants 
may  ripen.  It  is  not  advisable  to  withhold  water  en- 
tirely, but  give  only  enough  to  keep  the  plants  from 
actually  suffering  for  the  want  of  it,  and  allow  them  a 
short  period  of  rest  before  starting  them  again  into 
growth.  If  runners  should  appear  they  must  be  pinched 
off.  Those  wanted  for  an  early  crop  may  be  placed  in  the 
house  the  first  of  November,  as  it  will  be  ten  to  four- 
teen weeks  from  the  time  the  plants  are  placed  in  the 
forcing-house  before  the  fruit  will  be  ripe. 

If  a  succession  of  crops  is  desired,  then  only  a  portion 
of  the  plants  should  be  placed  in  the  house  at  one  time. 

The  pots  may  be  set  on  shelves  or  plunged  in  soil — the 
latter  method  is  preferable,  as  there  is  less  danger  of  the 
plants  being  affected  by  careless  watering  or  change  of 
temperature. 

The  plants  should  now  be  watered  regularly,  just  enough 
to  keep  the  soil  moist,  but  not  wet — the  temperature  of 
the  house  raised  to  65  or  75  degrees  in  the  day,  and  50  to 
60  at  night,  slightly  increasing  as  the  flower  stems  appear. 

The  plants  should  be  frequently,  say  every  alternate 
day,  syringed  or  sprinkled  overhead  until  they  bloom, 
then  omit  it  until  the  fruit  is  set,  after  which  it  may  be 
continued,  but  not  quite  so  often  as  before.  While  the 


STRAWBERRY.  73 

plants  are  in  bloom,  as  much  air  should  be  admitted  as 
possible  without  lowering  the  temperature  or  allowing  a 
direct  current  to  strike  upon  the  plants.  In  clear  weather 
the  plants  will  generally  require  water  once  a  day,  and 
sometimes  twice.  Care  should  be  observed  not  to  let  the 
leaves  wilt,  but  do  not  give  so  much  water  that  the  soil 
shall  become  sodden  and  heavy. 

A  few  applications  of  liquid  manure  may  be  beneficial, 
provided  the  compost  used  is  not  sufficiently  rich.  When 
the  fruit  is  set  and  swelling,  is  a  good  time  to  apply  it,  but 
withhold  it  after  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen. 

The  reserved  plants  should  be  stored  where  they  will 
not  be  frozen.  A  light,  warm  cellar  or  walled  pit, 
covered  with  glass,  will  answer  the  purpose — a  place 
where  they  will  receive  light,  and  not  be  frozen, 
yet  so  cool  that  they  will  not  be  excited  into  growth. 
Sometimes  plants  a  year  old  are  taken  up  in  the  fall  and 
potted,  and  used  for  forcing,  but  those  prepared  as  de- 
scribed are  preferable.  Forcing  houses  are  sometimes  so 
arranged  that  the  plants  are  set  directly  in  the  ground 
without  pots.  A  more  vigorous  growth  of  plant  is  se- 
cured by  this  method,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  crop  of 
fruit  is  increased. 

Plants  that  have  been  once  used  for  forcing  should  be 
discarded  and  not  used  for  the  same  purpose  again.  It 
may  be  advisable,  in  cases  of  scarcity,  to  plant  them  out 
in  the  open  ground  in  spring,  for  they  will  occasionally 
produce  a  moderate  crop  late  in  the  season. 

All  the  different  operations  may  be  varied  to  suit  the 
circumstances  of  the  case,  as  in  open  air  culture ;  and 
I  have  only  endeavored  to  give  a  general  plan,  omit- 
ting minute  details,  which  the  grower  will  readily 
supply  while  the  operation  is  in  progress.  At  every  step 
caution  and  a  due  amount  of  thought  are  requisite — such 
as  preventing  cold  currents  of  air  striking  the  plants 
4 


74 


SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


when  in  bloom,  or  chilling  the  roots  by  applying  very 
cold  water. 

Forcing  Strawberries  for  market  is  not  a  common  prac- 
tice, except  near  our  larger  cities ;  but  it  will  probably  be- 
come more  general  in  a  few  years  than  at  present,  partic- 
ularly if  two  to  three  dollars  per  quart  can  be  obtained 
for  the  fruit,  as  has  been  done  in  New  York  for  several 
years  past. 

FORCING    HOUSES. 

Few,  if  any,  structures  have  been  built  in  this  country 
expressly  for  the  purpose  of  forcing  Strawberries. 

The  common  loan-to  or  span-roof  houses  are  principally 
used  for  forcing  all  kinds  of  fruits,  and  perhaps  they. 


Fig.  23. — FORCING  HOUSE. 

answer  as  well  as  any  other.  In  Europe  many  different 
styles  are  in  use,  among  which  there  is  probably  none 
more  unique  or  better  adapted  to  forcing  the  Strawberry 
than  the  one  shown  in  the  accompanying  engraving,  fig- 
ure 23.  This  is  a  lean-to  house,  but  instead  of  the  usual 
form  of  roof  it  is  made  up  of  a  series  of  short  frames,  one 
above  the  other,  like  a  flight  of  stairs.  These  frames  rest 


STEAWBEEEY.  75 

upon  cast  iron  brackets,  fixed  against  the  wall  or  upon 
standards  erected  for  the  purpose.  Where  the  brackets 
are  fastened  directly  upon  the  wall,  access  is  had  to  the 
plants  by  lifting  the  frames  from  the  front.  But  the  one 
shown  is  wide  enough  to  allow  a  passage  behind  the 
frames.  The  idea  is  a  good  one,  which  our  own  gardeners 
will  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of.  The  plants  in  the 
frames  are  brought  close  to  the  glass,  and  there  is  no  ex- 
tra or  waste  space,  which  requires  just  as  much  heat  as 
that  which  is  occupied  by  plants.  This  style  of  house 
is  said  to  have  originated  with  the  firm  of  Weeks  &  Co., 
Chelsea,  England.  Three  different  plans  of  these  Eng- 
lish houses  were  given  in  the  Gardeners'  Monthly,  in 
June,  1865.  They  may  be  heated  with  hot  water,  steam, 
or  any  of  the  other  modes  usually  employed. 

VARIETIES    FOR    FORCING. 

Comparatively  few  experiments  have  been  made  in  this 
country  in  forcing  Strawberries;  it  is,  therefore,  not 
known  which  are  the  best  varieties  for  that  purpose. 
None  but  those  with  bi-sexual  flowers  can  be  used  advan- 
tageously, inasmuch  as  in  the  still  atmosphere  of  a  house 
the  pistillate  varieties  would  be  imperfectly  fertilized,  even 
if  abundant  perfect  flowering  kinds  were  grown  among 
them. 

Forced  fruit  is  not  generally  as  highly  flavored  as  that 
which  ripens  in  the  open  air ;  consequently  only  that  of 
the  best  quality  should  be  used,  provided  flavor  is  an 
object. 

Trollope's  Victoria  is  a  fine  show  fruit,  and  produces 
well  when  forced,  but  it  is  usually  insipid. 

Austin  or  Shaker,  is  equal  if  not  superior  to  the  last, 
but  with  the  same  defect,  although  not  to  such  an  extent. 
Its  fine  color  and  large  size  are  very  much  in  its  favor, 
and  it  usually  commands  a  large  price  in  market. 

The  British  Queen  is  the  most  popular  variety  in  Eng- 


76  SMALL   PKUIT   CULTUBIST. 

land  for  forcing,  and  it  would  probably  be  worthy  of  trial 
here,  although  it  does  not  succeed  very  well  in  the  open 
air. 

Among  our  native  varieties  we  have  probably  no  better 
variety  for  forcing,  taking  flavor  and  productiveness  into 
consideration,  than  the  Boston  Pine.  The  monthly  Al- 
pines do  exceedingly  well,  and  the  fruit  is  usually  con- 
siderably larger  than  when  grown  in  the  open  ground. 

THINNING    THE    FRUIT. 

It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  take  off  a  portion  of  the 
fruit  from  forced  plants.  This  should  be  done  as  soon  as 
it  has  set,  thereby  giving  that  which  remains  a  better 
chance  for  full  development.  Numbers  do  not  always  in- 
dicate quantity,  arid,  with  ten  to  fifteen  berries  upon  each 
plant,  as  many  quarts  will  usually  be  obtained  from 
a  given  space  as  with  twice  as  many  to  each. 

Plants  that  are  not  over-cropped  at  first,  may  often  be 
made  to  produce  a  second  crop  by  giving  stimulating 
manure  soon  after  the  first  is  gathered. 

One  crop,  however,  is  all  that  is  usually  expected  with 
those  which  do  not  produce  any  more  naturally. 

HYBRIDIZING    AND    CROSSING. 

The  Strawberry  may  be  hybridized  or  crossed  as  readily 
as  other  fruits,  but  this  having  already  been  done  to  such 
an  extent  between  the  F.  Virginiana  and  F.  grandiflora, 
the  results  of  special  effort  in  the  same  direction  will  be 
very  uncertain,  especially  if  we  use  the  varieties  under 
cultivation  for  that  purpose. 

These  being  in  many  instances  a  mixture  of  two  species, 
it  becomes  a  diificult  matter  to  determine  whether  the 
cause  which  produced  certain  results  originated  with  us, 
or  was  the  effect  of  some  previous  operation  which  had 
just  made  itself  apparent  in  the  seedlings. 


STRAWBERRY.  77 

In  other  words,  hybridizing  hybrids  is  only  the  mixing 
together  of  two  compounds — the  exact  proportions  of 
neither  being  known. 

The  pistillate  varieties  are  always  fertilized  by  other 
kinds ;  their  seeds  are  impregnated  by  whatever  kind 
produces  the  pollen  ;  consequently  the  plants  grown  from 
them  are  natural  crosses  between  the  two  or  more,  as  the 
case  be. 

It  is  very  doubtful  if  any  dependence  -can  be  placed 
upon  the  results  of  artificial  crossing  between  any  of  the 
varieties  of  the  two  species  named  ;  still,  it  may  be  worthy 
of  trial.  All  that  is  required  is  to  fertilize  the  pistils  of 
one  variety  with  the  pollen  from  another. 

For  instance,  if  we  select  the  Wilson's  Albany  for  the 
parent  from  which  we  wish  to  procure  seeds,  when  the 
flowers  first  open,  we  take  a  pair  of  small  scissors  and  cut 
off  the  stamens,  being  careful  to  remove  every  one.  It 
is  best  to  do  this  early  in  the  morning  before  the  petals 
have  fully  expanded ;  then  set  a  bell-glass  or  a  fine  wire 
screen  over  the  entire  plant,  so  that  insects,  which  go 
from  flower  to  flower  with  pollen  adhering  to  them,  shall 
not  fertilize  the  plant  upon  which  we  are  operating  and 
thereby  defeat  our  object.  In  three  or  four  hours  after  the 
stamens  have  been  removed,  the  pistils  will  probably  be 
sufliciently  developed  to  receive  the  pollen,  at  which  time 
cut  a  fully  expanded  flower  from  the  variety  that  has  been 
selected  for  the  other  parent,  and  apply  its  stamens  to  the 
pistils  of  the  Wilson's  Albany.  The  stamens  may  be  cut 
off  and  allowed  to  drop  on  to  the  pistils  or  merely  brushed 
over  them.  Three  or  four  flowers  are  sufficient,  and  all 
that  it  is  safe  to  undertake  to  operate  upon  on  a  single 
plant ;  all  others  should  be  removed  before  they  open. 

Each  flower  must  have  its  stamens  removed  and  its  pis- 
tils fertilized  in  the  same  manner;  and  as  they  will  proba- 
bly not  all  open  in  one  day,  they  must  be  attended  to  suc- 
cessively as  they  bloom. 


78  SMALL   PKUIT   CULTURIST. 

Mark  the  plants,  and  keep  the  screen  or  bell-glass  over 
them  for  two  or  three  days.  When  the  seeds  are  ripe, 
save  and  plant  as  I  have  already  directed. 

There  are  a  few  Strawberry  growers  who  place  great 
reliance  upon  their  particular  efforts  in  crossing,  and  when- 
ever they  produce  a  new  variety  it  is  always  (if  we  believe 
their  assertions)  a  cross  or  hybrid  between  some  two  re- 
markable varieties  or  species.  But  to  show  how  exceed- 
ingly difficult  it  is  to  know  positively  whether  a  seedling 
is  a  cross  between  the  two  varieties  upon  which  we  have 
experimented,  or  the  result  of  some  previous  one,  let  us 
suppose  a  case. 

For  instance,  we  will  take  Hovey's  Seedling  and  fertil- 
ize it  with  the  Wilson,  and  from  the  seed  of  the  former 
raise  a  variety  that  shall  resemble  the  latter  more  than  it 
does  the  Hovey — would  this  be  positive  proof  that  the 
seedling  was  the  result  of  our  especial  effort  ?  Not  at  all, 
because  similar  varieties  may  be  and  are  produced  from 
the  Hovey  without  artificially  fertilizing  its  flowers  from 
the  Wilson  or  any  similar  variety. 

And  further,  the  Wilson  is  probably  a  seedling'  of  the 
Hovey,  and  it  possesses  naturally  the  same  inherent  char- 
acteristics which  only  require  an  opportunity,  which  seed- 
lings afford,  to  show  themselves. 

Direct  efforts  to  improve  are  commendable,  but  the 
causes  of  results  are  not  always  what  are  supposed,  and 
assertions  are  not  to  be  implicitly  relied  upon.  The  in- 
fluence that  one  variety  has  upon  another  by  fertilizing 
is  generally  supposed  to  affect  the  seeds  only,  but  from 
many  experiments  which  I  have  made,  I  am  quite  certain 
that  it  extends  further. 

Every  Strawberry  grower  is  aware  of  the  fact  that 
whenever  a  portion  of  the  pistils  are  not  fertilized,  the 
berries  will  be  proportionately  deformed.  If  there  are  no 
seeds,  then  the  receptacle,  which  we  call  the  fruit,  is  abor- 
tive. But  if  we  are  to  suppose  that  the  influence  of  the 


STKAWBERKY.  79 

pollen  extends  no  further  than  the  seeds,  why  does  not 
the  fruit  enlarge  and  come  to  maturity  without  seeds,  as 
we  see  in  other  fruits,  particularly  those  which  produce 
their  seeds  within  a  fleshy  receptacle,  as  the  grape,  ap- 
ple, &c. 

With  corn,  we  can  see  the  effects  of  cross-fertilization 
in  the  color  of  the  grains  the  first  season,  also  upon  the 
receptacle  (cob)  ;  thus,  in  this  instance,  showing  con- 
clusively that  the  effect  is  apparent  the  first  season  upon 
the  seed  as  well  as  beyond. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  impregnation  affects  the  whole 
plant,  but  not  to  an  extent  worthy  of  any  particular  at- 
tention. Still,  from  personal  observations  upon  this  point, 
I  am  well  satisfied  that  principles  similar  to  those  which 
govern  the  animal  kingdom  are  potent  in  the  vegetable. 
Because  they  are  not  so  readily  observed  is  no  reason  for 
disputing  their  effect. 

The  most  careful  experimenter  or  observer  is  generally 
less  positive  in  his  assertions  than  the  more  careless,  be- 
cause by  thorough  study  he  learns  that  although  cause 
and  effect  are  linked  together,  the  connecting  chain  is  of- 
ten not  only  hidden,  but  has  so  many  ramifications  that 
each  cannot  be  traced  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

In  giving  names  to  new  varieties  errors  are  occasionally 
made — sometimes  purposely,  and  with  intent  to  deceive, 
but  let  us  hope  more  often  carelessly  or  through  ignorance. 
Many  of  my  readers  may  remember  the  advent  of 
Peabody's  Hautbois  Strawberry. 

The  originator  claimed  that  it  was  a  cross  between  the 
Ross  and  Phoenix  and  the  wild  Strawberry  of  AlabaniM, 
neither  of  which  belong  to  the  Hautbois  species ;  conse- 
quently it  was  a  deception  to  call  the  new  seedling  a 
Hautbois,  although  the  originator  had,  according  to  cus- 
tom, a  right  to  give  it  whatever  name  he  pleased. 

Many  other  so-called  Hautbois  Strawberries  have  been 
as  far  from  what  their  name  implies  as  the  Peabody,  and 


80  SMALL  FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

may  have  been  applied  through  ignorance  or  design.  It 
is  very  doubtful  if  there  have  ever  been  any  true  hybrids 
produced  between  the  Hautbois,  or  the  Alpine,  and  other 
species.  Some  fifty  years  ago,  a  Mr.  Williams,  of  Pitmas- 
ton,  in  England,  claimed  to  have  produced  a  hybrid  be- 
tween the  Hautbois  and  Alpine,  which  gave  fruit  without 
seed,  but  nothing  more  was  heard  of  it  beyond  the  an- 
nouncement of  its  production. 

Whether  hybrids  between  the  Alpines  and  Hautbois, 
or  these  and  other  species,  have  ever  been  produced  is  un- 
certain ;  yet  I  think  it  possible  and  worthy  of  trial. 

WINTER    PROTECTION. 

In  many  portions  of  the  country  a  winter  protection  to 
Strawberry  plants  is  very  beneficial,  if  not  positively  ne- 
cessary. Some  of  our  most  successful  growers  in  the 
Northern  States  never  fail  to  protect  their  plants,  and 
without  doubt  they  are  amply  repaid  for  the  expense  in- 
curred. For  my  own  part  I  never  have  had  a  full  crop 
without  giving  protection,  and  never  expect  one. 

There  can  scarcely  be  a  doubt  that  the  great  success  of 
some  cultivators,  with  particular  kinds,  is  owing,  in  a 
great  measure,  if  not  entirely,  to  the  winter  protection  of 
the  plants. 

The  embryo  fruit  buds  are  formed  within  the  crown  of 
the  plant  in  autumn,  and  therefore  it  must  be  apparent 
that  sudden  transition  from  heat  to  severe  cold  will  very 
.nuch  weaken  if  not  wholly  destroy  them. 

In  sections  of  the  country  where  the  plants  are  covered 
with  snow  during  the  entire  winter,  other  protection  is  not 
so  important  as  where  there  is  little  snow,  but  continued 
freezing  and  thawing.  It  is  not  expected  nor  is  it  desira- 
ble to  protect  the  plants  so  that  they  shall  not  be  frozen, 
but  merely  to  shade  them,  and  prevent  their  being  affect- 
ed  by  every  little  change  in  the  weather. 

A  covering  of  straw,  hay,  leaves,  or  any  similar  mate- 


STRAWBERRY.  81 

rial,  to  the  depth  of  one  or  two  inches  will  usually  be 
sufficient. 

Every  one  ought  to  know,  if  he  does  not,  tliat  frozen 
plants  thawed  out  in  the  shade  are  less  injured  by  frost 
than  when  fully  exposed  to  the  light ;  and  this  is  another 
reason  why  Strawberry  plants  should  be  covered  in  win- 
ter, because,  if  the  weather  should  be  very  changeable, 
they  will  be  less  liable  to  injury  than  when  fully  exposed 
to  light. 

Protection  is  sometimes  objected  to,  because  it  is  said 
to  retard  the  blooming  of  the  plants,  and  the  crop  will  be 
later  in  ripening.  This  may  be  true  to  a  certain  extent, 
but  I  have  always  thought  that  protected  plants  came  for- 
ward more  rapidly,  when  they  did  start,  than  the  unpro- 
tected ones.  The  lost  time  may  not  be  fully  made  up, 
but  there  will  be  but  a  very  slight  difference. 

In  some  sections  of  the  country,  retarding  the  time  of 
blooming  would  be  very  advantageous,  as  by  this  means 
the  injury  from  late  spring  frosts  would  be  avoided.  The 
benefit  of  having  late  blooming  kinds  was  quite  apparent 
the  past  season,  (1866),  when  a  late  frost  was  very  de- 
structive through  a  great  portion  of  the  Northern  and 
Middle  States ;  and  the  reports  of  the  Strawberry  crop 
furnished  some  amusing  illustrations  of  the  careless  man- 
mer  in  which  some  cultivators  arrive  at  conclusions.  The 
early  blooming  varieties  came  in  for  all  the  censure,  while 
the  late  bloomers,  which  escaped  the  frost,  received  all 
the  praise ;  and  still,  with  this  very  potent  fact  before 
him,  scarcely  a  fruit  grower,  in  making  up  his  report  of 
success  or  failure,  alluded  to  the  time  of  the  blooming  of 
the  variety  cultivated.  The  varieties  of  F.  grandiflora 
in  particular,  require  winter  protection  to  insure  a  full 
crop.  The  large,  prominent  crowns  of  these  varieties  are 
more  liable  to  injury  than  the  smaller  and  more  compact 
ones  of  those  of  other  species.  When  the  plants  are  grown 
in  beds,  then  a  portion  of  the  material  used  for  protection 
4* 


82  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

should  be  removed  in  spring,  leaving  about  half  an  inch  in 
depth,  allowing  the  plants  to  grow  through  it,  thereby 
affording  a  mulching  that  will-  keep  the  fruit  clean  as  well 
as  shading  the  ground. 

Saw-dust  and  tan-bark  are  sometimes  used  for  mulching, 
but  there  is  usually  so  much  fine  dust  among  them  that  the 
fruit  will  become  more  or  less  splashed  during  heavy  rains. 

Spent  hops  from  a  brewery  is  a  most  excellent  material 
for  mulching  the  Strawberry ;  besides,  few  insects  will 
attack  the  plants  or  fruit  where  it  is  used.  The  young 
runners  strike  root  very  readily  in  spent  hops,  showing 
that  it  is  an  excellent  fertilizer.  Fallen  pine  leaves  are 
found  to  be  very  good,  as  they  keep  the  fruit  clean,  while 
at  the  same  time  they  will  have  decayed  so  much  as  to 
interfere  but  very  little  with  the  growth  of  the  plants. 
Some  have  suggested  that  the  peculiar  flavor  of  the 
Pine  varieties  is  imparted  to  others  by  the  use  of  this 
kind  of  mulching,  but  this  is  probably  more  in  imagina- 
tion than  in  reality. 

Salt  meadow  and  bog  hay  are  excellent  for  a  mulch,  as 
also  is  straw  or  corn  stalks  cut  fine. 

When  the  plants  are  cultivated  in  rows,  the  mulching 
should  only  be  removed  from  the  crowns  of  the  plants, 
and  the  entire  amount  allowed  to  remain  on  the  ground 
between  the  rows. 

Another  method  of  protecting  the  plants  is  to  cover 
them  'with  soil.  This  is  done  by  passing  the  plow  along 
each  side  of  the  row,  turning  the  soil  on  the  plants  in 
the  fall,  and  then  removing  it  again  in  the  spring.  This 
plan  might  answer  in  light  soils,  but  then  a  mulching 
would  be  still  needed  in  summer  to  keep  the  fruit  clean. 
This  method  has  been  practiced  in  a  few  places,  but  with 
what  success  I  am  unable  to  state. 


STRAWBERRY.  83 

DISEASES    AND    INSECTS. 

The  Strawberry  is  peculiarly  exempt  from  disease, 
there  being  none  which  affects  it  to  any  considerable  extent. 
Sometimes  a  sudden  change  of  weather  will  cause  the 
flowers  to  blight,  and  no  fruit  will  be  produced ;  but  this 
cannot  be  classed  as  a  disease,  but  merely  as  an  accidental 
cause  of  failure.  In  warm,  wet  weather,  the  fruit  and 
leaf-stalks  will  be  affected  by  mildew,  and  the  leaves  at- 
tacked by  a  kind  of  rust  which  is  called  in  Europe  Straw- 
berry brand  (Aregma  obtusatum).  Mr.  Cooke,  in  his  late 
work  on  Microscopic  Fungi,  has  given  a  description  and 
highly  magnified  illustration  of  this  species,  which  we 

quote,  figure  24.  The 
spores  are  produced  in 
clusters  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  leaves,  and  appear 
like  minute  yellow  spots 
to  the  naked  eye,  but 
under  a  magnifying  lens 
they  have  the  form  shown 

Fig.    24.-STBAWBEBBT   BRAND.  m    ^    ^^     illustration. 

As  this  fungus  makes  its  appearance  late  in  the  season 
it  causes  but  very  little  injury. 

Insects  are  more  injurious  to  the  Strawberry  than  any 
disease  that  has  yet  appeared. 

The  most  destructive  of  these  is  probably  the  larva 
of  the  common  May  Beetle,  formerly  called  Melolontha, 
but  now  placed  in  the  genus  Lachnosterna.  The  grub 
(larva),  when  fully  grown,  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
long,  and  three-eighths  thick,  nearly  white,  with  a  brown 
head,  and  commonly  called  the  White  Grub. 

These  grubs  are  usually  more  numerous  in  old  dry 
pastures  and  meadows  than  elsewhere,  because  their  prin- 
cipal food  is  the  roots  of  different  kinds  of  grass.  The  old 
sods  afford  protection  against  the  birds  and  animals  which 


? 


84  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

devour  them ;  consequently  they  often  become  very  abun- 
dant in  such  places.  If  these  grass  lands  are  plowed  and 
planted  with  the  Strawberry,  the  grubs  will  attack  the 
roots,  and,  if  numerous,  will  destroy  every  plant  almost 
as  soon  as  it  is  put  in  the  ground.  In  some  sections  of 
the  country  the  white  grub  has  very  materially  checked 
the  cultivation  of  the  Strawberry.  The  only  remedy 
with  which  I  am  acquainted  is,  to  occupy  the  ground 
with  some  crop  which  requires  considerable  hoeing  and 
cultivation,  for  two  or  three  years  before  planting  with 
the  Strawberry. 

The  grub  is  said  to  be  three  or  four  years  in  attaining 
its  growth,  and  by  continually  manipulating  the  soil  they 
are  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  birds,  and  many  are  de- 
stroyed by  crushing ;  besides  this,  the  Beetles  will  seldom 
deposit  their  eggs  in  freshly  disturbed  soil.  A  few 
years  since  I  experienced  considerable  difficulty  in 
planting  a  Strawberry  bed  upon  a  piece  of  land  that  had 
been  an  old  pasture.  The  grubs  were  almost  victorious 
the  first  two  seasons  ;  but  the  third  year  they  entirely  dis- 
appeared, and  I  had  no  trouble  from  them  thereafter. 

Mr.  Harris,  in  his  "  Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetation," 
says  "  that  this  white  grub  is  the  larva 
of  the  May  Beetle,  which  is  so  often 
seen   flying   about   in    the    evening." 

Figure  25  shows  one  of  the  beetles 
of  natural  size.  "  It  is  of  a  chestnut- 
brown  color,  smooth,  but  finely  punc-  Fig.  25.— MAY  BEETLE. 
tured — that  is,  covered  with  little  impressed  dots,  as  if 
pricked  with  the  point  of  a  needle,  each  wing-case  has  two 
or  three  slightly  elevated,  longitudinal  lines ;  the  breast  is 
clothed  with  yellowish  down."  The  grubs  are  greedily 
devoured  by  birds ;  the  crow  being  exceedingly  fond  of 
them.  This  much  abused  bird  will  always  seek  them  on 
recently  plowed  ground,  where,  I  regret  to  say,  many  a 
crow  has  lost  his  life  while  devouring  the  White  Grub; 


STRAWBERRY.  85 

he  was  benefiting  the  cultivator,  who  returned  this  kind- 
ness with  a  death-dealing  bullet.  From  a  pretty  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  habits  of  the  crow,  having  kept 
several  tame  ones,  I  am  well  satisfied  that  they  are  far 
more  beneficial  than  injurious  to  the  farmer.  A  crow  will 
eat  a  hundred  white  grubs  in  a  day,  after  he  has  had  a 
breakfast  of  an  equal  number  of  rose  bugs.  I  do  nol. 
state  this  as  an  imaginary  case,  but  as  a  simple  fact  that  I 
have  proved  many  times.  From  experience,  I  firmly 
believe  that  the  crow  is  one  of  the  most  useful  birds  that 
we  possess,  although  he  does  a  little  mischief  now  and 
then  in  the  way  of  pulling  up  corn. 

When  domesticated  he  forgets  those  tricks  of  his  wild 
nature,  and,  not  being  a  timid  bird,  he  is  not  frightened  by 
hoe  or  spade,  but  when  the  earth  is  turned  over  he  is  gen- 
erally there  to  see  and  do  his  duty. 

The  wire  worm  (lulus),  which  belongs  to  the  Myriapoda 
or  many-footed  worms,  sometimes  attacks  the  roots  of 
the  Strawberry,  but  I  have  no  accounts  which  show 
that  they  have  as  yet  been  very  destructive.  Frequent 
plowing  and  thorough  cultivation  are  the  most  effective 
means  of  destroying  them. 

A  few  years  since  my  Strawberry  beds  were  attacked 
by  a  small,  greenish-colored  worm,  somewhat  similar  in  ap- 
pearance to  the  Rose  Slug  (Selandria  rosea,  of  Harris), 
but  their  habits  were  quite  different ;  inasmuch  as  they 
were  always  curled  up  when  feeding,  the  lower  extremity 
of  the  body  hanging  down  under  the  leaves,  while  with 
their  fore  feet  they  fastened  themselves  to  the  edge  of  the 
eaf  or  the  hole  they  had  made  through  it. 

Sometimes  a  dozen  would  be  found  upon  a  single  leaf, 
each  one  curled  up  in  the  form  of  a  snail  shell.  When  the 
worms  were  extended  to  full  length  they  were  about  half 
an  inch  long,  and  sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  diameter;  color 
greenish- white,  with  a  brown  head.  They  were  very 
numerous  the  first  season,  and  remained  some  five  or  six 


86  SMALL  FEUIT   CULTUKIST. 

weeks,  and  in  that  time  they  scarcely  left  an  entire  leaf 
on  a  half  acre  bed  which  they  attacked.  The  next  season 
I  saw  but  few,  and  since  that  time  I  have  never  met  with 
any.  I  have  been  informed  that  this  worm,  or  one  very 
similar,  has  lately  made  its  appearance  in  Central  New 
York.  The  scientific  name  of  this  worm  I  have  been  un- 
able to  determine ;  although  I  sent  many  specimens  to  a 
noted  Entomologist,  I  have  received  no  information  in 
return. 

The  snail  or  slug  which  is  so  abundant  and  destructive 
to  the  Strawberry  and  other  garden  products  in  Europe, 
has  found  its  way  to  this  country,  and  is  now  quite  plenti- 
ful in  some  gardens  near  New  York.  These  snails  are 
great  gourmands,  and  will  destroy  the  Strawberry  fruit 
in  quantities  if  they  become  very  plentiful.  Hand  picking, 
or  destroying  them  with  lime,  is  a  pretty  sure  way  of 
getting  rid  of  this  pest. 

The  Plant  Louse  (Aphis),  or  Green  Fly,  as  it  is  usually 
called,  sometimes  becomes  quite  numerous  upon  the  roots 
of  the  Strawberry,  particularly  when  the  soil  is  quite  loose 
and  open,  so  as  to  admit  them  readily  to  the  roots.  Upon 
these  they  congregate  in  immense  numbers,  sucking  the 
juices  of  the  plant,  and  thereby  effectually  checking  its 
growth.  A  liberal  application  of  dry  ashes  or  refuse  from 
a  tobacco  factory  will  usually  destroy  them.  The  Aphis 
also  attacks  the  plants  when  grown  under  glass,  but  they 
are  more  readily  destroyed  than  the  Red  Spider  (Telaris), 
which  insect  is  very  destructive  when  numerous. 

The  best  preventive  to  the  ravages  of  the  Red  Spider  is  a 
moist  atmosphere,  but  when  this  cannot  be  allowed,  flour 
of  sulphur  should  be  freely  scattered  among  the  plants  or 
upon  the  soil  near  them.  The  fumes  of  melted  sulphur 
will  make  quick  work  with  them,  but  it  requires  great 
care  in  its  application,  for  should  the  sulphur  take  fire  and 
burn,  the  fumes  will  destroy  the  plants  as  well. 

Birds  are,  in  some  portions  of  the  country,  very  de- 


STRAWEEKKY.  87 

structive  to  the  Strawberry,  but  I  forbear  to  suggest  a 
remedy,  because  there  are  already  too  many  effectual 
ones  in  use. 

VARIETIES. 

In  the  following  catalogue  I  have  endeavored  to  give 
the  names,  with  a  concise  description,  of  all  the  varieties 
now  in  cultivation,  which  are  worthy  of  it. 

To  give  a  full  description  of  all  known  varieties  would 
require  quite  a  volume  by  itself,  and  it  is  very  doubtful 
if,  when  such  a  list  was  made,  any  one  would  take  the 
trouble  to  peruse  it.  It  is  such  an  easy  matter  to  raise 
new  varieties,  that  a  few  men  seem  to  have  gone  into  the 
business,  not  for  the  purpose  of  improvement,  but  mainly 
to  see  how  many  varieties  they  can  produce,  and  so  they 
name  each  new  seedling,  and  give  it  a  glowing  description, 
whether  it  is  worthy  of  cultivation  or  not. 

Now,  while  I  would  not  suppress  any  information  that 
would  benefit  the  public,  I  do  not  feel  called  upon  to  re- 
commend or  give  the  names  of  all  the  varieties  that  have 
appeared  in  the  catalogues  of  some  few  of  our  Strawberry 
growers,  particularly  when  a  single  one  contains  about 
sixty  remarkable  varieties  claimed  to  have  been  produced 
by  the  proprietor  of  one  establishment. 

Our  enterprising  fruit  growers  are  supposed  to  know  and 
procure  the  best  varieties,  and  when  one  has  been  before 
the  public  for  from  five  to  ten  years,  and  then  it  is  not 
found  in  general  cultivation,  it  may  be  safe  to  conclude 
that  the  fruit  grower  lacks  confidence  in  the  originator, 
and  consequently  does  not  purchase  it,  or  that  it  haa 
been  tried  and  discarded.  The  reader,  if  he  has  followed 
me  through  the  preceding  pages,  will  have  noticed  that  I 
recognize  among  cultivated  varieties  but  two  sexes, 
viz :  Perfect  or  Bi-sexual,  and  the  Pistillate  varieties. 
The  latter  kinds  are  marked  pistillate  ;  all  not  so  designat- 
ed will  bear  fruit  without  the  aid  of  others. 


88 


SMALL  FKUIT   CULTTJKIST. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    VARIETIES. 

The  following  are  varieties  of  F.  grandiflora  and  F. 
Virginiana.  Some  of  them  show  more  of  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  one  species  than  of  the  other,  while 
with  a  few  it  would  be  difhcult  to  tell  to  which  they  were 
related,  and  it  is  very  probable  that  they  are  a  mixture 
of  both.  They  were  all  produced  in  this  country,  and  are 
called  native  varieties : 

Agriculturist* — Very  large,  irregular,  conical,  with  long 
neck,  large  specimens  often  flattened 
or  coxcomb  shaped ;  color  light  red- 
dish crimson  ;  flesh  deep  red,  moder- 
ately firm,  sweet,  rich  and  good ; 
plant  a  very  strong  grower ;  leaves 
large,  thick,  dark  green,  with  reddish 
petiole ;  hardy  and  productive,  and 
succeeds  remarkably  well  on  light 
sandy  soils,  as  well  as  on  those  that 
are  heavy.  A  valuable  variety. 
Fig.  26  shows  a  fruit  of  medium  size 
in  ordinary  field  culture.  Originat- 
iu.  26.-AGKICULTURIST.  cd  with  Seth  Boyden,  Newark,  1ST.  J. 
Austin  or  Shaker* — Large,  roundish,  slightly  conical, 
extra  large  specimens  often  triangular  or  flattened,  usually 
hollow;  color  light  pale  scarlet;  seeds  deeply  imbedded; 
flesh  nearly  white,  soft,  acid,  rot  rich,  with  considerable 
perfume  ;  third  rate  in  quality  ;  leaves  large,  pale  green  ; 
petioles  and  fruit  stalk  covered  with  long  whitish  hairs ;  a 
vigorous  grower,  hardy  and  productive.  Originated 
among  the  Shakers  at  Watervliet,  N.  Y. 

Albion  White,— See  Lennig's  White. 

Boston  Pine,  (Bartlett.) — Medium  to  large,  obtuse- 
conical  ;  color  light  crimson ;  flesh  but  slightly  colored, 
firm,  sweet,  most  excellent ;  fruit  stalks  very  long  ;  plant 


STRAWBEEEY. 


vigorous  and  'productive ;  a  fine  market  variety ;  ripens 
early ;  succeeds  in  both  light  and  heavy  soils,  and  is  very 
hardy.  Originated  with  C.  M.  Hovey,  Boston,  Mass. 

IS  right  OH  Pine  *  —  Medium  to  large,  roundish-conical, 
with  short  neck;  color  light  crimson;  flesh  rather  soft, 
sweet  and  juicy ;  plant  strong,  vigorous,  and  moderately 
productive ;  early.  Originated  with  Mr.  T.  Scott,  of 
Brighton,  Mass. 

Burr's  New  I* inc. — Medium,  regular,  roundish-conical; 
color  deep  scarlet  in  the  sun,  but  pale  in  the  shade ;  flesh 
soft,  very  juicy,  sweet,  and  highly  perfumed  ;  very  early, 
but  too  soft  to  bear  handling ;  pistillate.  Very  little  cul- 
tivated at  the  present  time.  Originated  with  Mr.  Burr, 
Columbus,  Ohio. 

Buffalo* — See  McAvoy's  Superior. 

Brooklyn  Scarlet.— Medium 
to  large,  regular,  conical,  writh 
neck ;  color  bright  scarlet ;  flesh 
rather  soft,  sweet  and  rich ; 
quality  best ;  plant  a  dwarf 
grower,  producing  very  large 
stools,  hardy,  vigorous  and  pro- 
ductive; one  of  the  best  for 
home  use.  Figure  27  shows  a 
berry  of  average  size  when  the 
plants  are  grown  in  good  soil. 
Originated  with  A.  S.  Fuller,  in 
1859,  from  seed  of  Peabody 
Seedling.  One  of  the  three  NQW 
York  Tribune  prize  varieties. 

Brook's  Prolific, — See  Iowa. 

Baltimore  Scarlet, — See  Scotch  Runner. 

Chorlton'S  Prolific, — Said  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Iowa, 
but  the  difference  is  so  slight,  if  there  is  any,  that  I  have 
not  been  able  to  detect  it.  Early. 


Fig.  27. — BROOKLYN   SCARLET. 


90  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

Col.  Ellsworth. — Very  large,  irregular,  conical,  with 
long  neck ;  color  dark  scarlet,  fading  to  a  dull  crimson  ; 
flesh  firm  and  rather  dry,  but  sweet,  not  rich ;  the  fruit 
stalks  longer  than  the  leaves,  very  large  and  stout ;  plant 
a  moderate  grower,  and  very  productive.  It  has  not 
proved  as  valuable  as  it  was  at  first  supposed  that  it 
would.  The  plants  appear  not  to  be  sufficiently  robust* 
and  burn  on  warm  soils.  Early.  Originated  in  my 
igrounds  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Crimson  FaTOrite. — Large,  obtuse-conical ;  color  dark 
shining  crimson ;  flesh  firm,  of  a  rich  sprightly  flavor. 
This  variety  I  produced  from  the  Wilson,  and  the  fruit  re- 
sembles its  parent,  but  the  foliage  is  quite  distinct.  It 
was  awarded  the  first  prize  for  flavor  at  the  Great  Straw- 
berry Exhibition,  at  the  rooms  of  the  American  Agricul- 
turist in  1863.  But  it  has  proved  to  be  so  unproduc- 
tive with  me  that  I  hardly  consider  it  worthy  of  culti- 
vation. 

Crimson  Cone.    (Pine  Apple,  Scotch  Runner,  &c.) — 
Medium,  regular,  conical,  with  long  neck  ;  seeds  deeply 
imbedded ;  color  light,  bright  crimson  ;  flesh  firm,  sprightly 
acid,  with  a  rich  flavor,  and  highly  per- 
fumed.    Figure  28  shows  a  fruit  of  the 
usual  size.     One  of  the  best  Strawberries 
in    cultivation,  although    too    small  and 
acid  to  suit  some  people.     This  is  one  of 
the   old   market    kinds,    and   there    are 
probably  more  acres  of  it  in  cultivation, 
for   furnishing   the  New    Y"ork   market, 
than  of  all  others    put   together.     The 
Fig  28  -^CRIMSON     fl°wers  are  perfect,  and  not  pistillate,  as 
CONE.  has  often  been  asserted.     There  is,  how- 

ever, another  variety  which  is  generally  found  mixed  with 
it,  and  also  called  Scotch  Runner,  which  has  pistillate 
flowers.  The  latter  variety  is  the  true  Scotch  Runner, 
for  which  see  description. 


STRAWBERRY. 


91 


Chilian.  {Pyramidal  Chilian,  or  JVewland.) — Me- 
dium, conical,  bright  crimson,  acid,  but  good  flavor ; 
plant  hardy  and  productive;  of  no  great  value.  Origin- 
ated in  New  Jersey,  with  Mr.  Newland. 

Cutter's  Seedling.  (Bunce.) — Small  to  medium,  coni- 
cal, with  short  neck;  color  bright  scarlet;  moderately 
firm,  sprightly  and  good ;  very  early,  but  not  sufficiently 
productive,  or  large  enough  to  be  of  any  particular  value, 
at  least  while  we  have  so  many  that  are  far  better. 
Originated  in  Massachusetts,  with  Mr.  Cutter. 

Durand's  Seedling. — Large,  oblong  or  oblong-conical, 
sometimes  flattened ;  seeds  but  slightly  sunken ;  color 
scarlet;  flesh  firm,  solid,  nearly  white,  of  good  flavor. 
New,  not  thoroughly  tested,  but  promises  to  be  a  valua- 


Fig.  29.—  DURAND.  Fi£.  30. — DURAND. 

ble  variety  for  market.  Originated  with  Mr.  Durand 
near  Newark,  1ST.  J.  Figures  29  and  30  give  a  fair  repre- 
sentation of  two  of  the  berries,  showing  its  variableness 
in  form. 

Downer's  Prolific. — Medium  to  large,  globular,  light 
scarlet ;  seeds  deeply  imbedded ;  flesh  rather  soft,  acid, 
not  rich,  but  highly  perfumed ;  very  early,  hardy,  and 
wonderfully  prolific.  An  excellent  market  variety,  pro- 


92  SMALL   FRUIT  CULTTJRIST. 

vided  the  market  is   near  by.     Originated  with  J.  S. 
Downer,  Elkton,  Kentucky. 

Diadem* — Large,  globular,  light  scarlet ;  seeds  deeply 
imbedded  ;  flesh  soft,  acid,  but  agreeable  flavor ;  a  strong 
and  vigorous  grower  of  the  western  type.  Pistillate. 
Originated  with  W.  R.  Prince,  Flushing,  N.  Y. 

Emily* — A  new  variety  raised  by  Prof.  Huntsman, 
Flushing,  N.  Y.  Said  to  be  very  large,  and  of  excellent 
flavor. 

Early  Scarlet. — Medium,  conical,  light  scarlet;  flesh 
firm,  moderately  acid.  An  old  variety,  but  little  cultivated 
at  the  present  time. 

Eclipse. — Small  to  medium,  conical,  light  bright  crim- 
son ;  the  fruit  stalks  very  strong,  erect,  even  when  loaded 
with  fruit ;  flavor  good,  but  not  rich ;  ripens  early,  and 
the  fruit  all  matures  within  a  few  days  after  the  first  is 
ripe.  In  fact  the  entire  crop  may  be  gathered  in  two  or 
three  pickings.  Pistillate.  Originated  with  W.  R.  Prince. 

Fillmore. — Large,  obtuse-conical,  dark  crimson,  sweet, 
moderately  rich  and  good.  In  deep,  rich  soils  this  variety 
produces  a  fair  crop,  but  it  is  not  generally  popular  among 
fruit  growers.  Pistillate.  Originated  with  Samuel  Feast, 
Baltimore,  Md. 

Faulkner's  King. — See  Ripawam. 

French's  Seedling. — Large,  deep  scarlet,  slightly  coni- 
cal, soft,  sweet,  but  sprightly  flavor,  good ;  leaves  medi- 
um size,  deep  green ;  fruit  stalks  with  numerous  light 
colored  hairs.  A  productive  and  valuable  variety,  but  too 
soft  to  transport  a  long  distance.  Early.  Found  by  Mr. 
Lewis  French  growing  wild  in  a  meadow  near  Moores- 
town,  New  Jersey. 

Georgia  Mammoth. — Medium  or  small,  obtuse-conical, 
dark  crimson  when  fully  ripe;  seeds  deeply  imbedded; 
flesh  very  firm,  acid,  not  rich ;  ripens  very  late,  and  this 


STRAWBERRY. 


93 


is  its  only  valuable  quality ;  plant  a  vigorous  grower,  and 
one  of  the  Iowa  class. 

General  McClellan. — See  McAvoy's  Superior. 

Golden  Queen. — This  is  said  to  be  a  new  variety,  which 
originated  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.  But  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  plants,  and  the  testimony  of  some  of  the  best 
horticulturists  of  Rochester,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
it  is  the  Trollop  e's  Victoria,  an  old  English  variety  long 
known  in  this  country. 

Great  Eastern. — Medium  to  large,  long,  conical,  light 
crimson,  firm,  acid,  not  rich,  moderately  productive.  The 
plants  making  large  stools,  and  producing  but  few  runners. 
A  very  good  market  variety. 

Green  Prolific ,  ( Newark  Prolific.} — Very  large,  round, 
pale  crimson  or  deep  scarlet ;  seeds 
slightly  sunken ;  rather  soft,  very 
acid,  without  richness,  and  of  in- 
ferior flavor ;  fruit  stalks  long  and 
stout ;  leaves  very  large  and  thick ; 
one  of  the  Iowa  class;  vigorous 
and  productive.  Originated  with 
Seth  Boyden, 
Newark,  N". 

Fig.  31. — GREEN  PROLIFIC.     J\         Fiff.       31 

shows   a  berry  of  the   average   size 
under  good  culture. 

Golden  Seeded. — Medium  to  large, 
bluntly-conical,  sometimes  flattened, 
dark  crimson,  with  prominent  yellow 
seeds,  sweet  and  rich,  early,  but  does 
not  succeed  except  in  a  few  localities 
and  soils.  It  is  probably  a  seedling 
of  a  foreign  variety.  Originated  in  Fi»-  SS.-GOLDEN  SEEDED. 
Canada  with  Mr.  Re*ad.  Figure  32  shows  the  form  and 
size  of  a  medium  sized  specimen. 


94  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTURIST. 


(  Germantown,  Young  's  Seedling.)  —  Large, 
conical,  bright  crimson,  handsome,  sub-acid,  sprightly, 
good.  An  old  and  much  esteemed  variety,  and  largely  cul- 
tivated for  supplying  the  Boston  Market.  Pistillate. 
Originated  with  C.  M.  Hovey,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  nearly 
forty  years  ago. 

Hooker.  —  Large,  short,  obtuse-conical,  nearly  globular, 
dark  crimson,  very  sweet  and  rich;  too  soft  and  dark 
colored  for  market,  but  a  fine  variety  for  the  amateur. 
The  plants  are  a  little  tender,  and  should  always  be  pro- 
tected in  winter  to  insure  a  good  crop.  Originated  with 
H.  E.  Hooker,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Iowa*  (Washington.)  —  Large,  globular,  somewhat 
compressed  ;  seeds  deeply  imbedded  in  a  wide  cavity, 
light  orange  scarlet,  acid,  inferior  flavor,  very  early,  pro- 
ductive and  hardy.  This  variety  was  formerly  extensively 
grown  about  Cincinnati,  under  the  name  of  Washington. 

Ida.  —  Small,  slightly  conical  ;  color  bright  scarlet  ; 
rather  acid,  but  good;  hardy  and  productive.  Has  been 
but  little  disseminated,  but  promises  to  be  an  excellent 
market  variety.  Pistillate.  Originated  with  E.  H.  Cocklin, 
Shepherdstown,  Pa. 

Ladies'  Pine,  —  Small  to  medium,  round,  pale  orange, 
scarlet,  with  a  slight  crimson  tint  in  the  sun  ;  seeds  rather 
prominent  ;  flesh  soft,  sweet  and  rich,  highly  perfumed, 
probably  the  most  delicious  flavored  variety  known.  Re- 
quires extra  culture,  and  even  then  it  is  not  very  produc- 
tive ;  nevertheless  it  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  most 
select  collection.  Pistillate.  Originated  in  Canada,  with 
Mr.  Read. 

Le  Baron*  —  Medium  to  large,  obtuse-conical,  dark  red  ; 
flesh  soft,  sweet,  and  high  flavored,  not  very  productive, 
but  a  vigorous  grower,  and  very  hardy.  Raised  by  Mr, 
Prince  from  the  old  Swainstone.  Pistillate. 


STRAWBERRY.  95 

Lady  Finger. — Medium,  elongated,  conical ;  color  bril- 
liant dark  scarlet ;  seeds  set  in  a  deep  open  cavity ;  flesh 
very  firm,  sub-acid,  good ;  plant  hardy,  vigorous  and  pro- 
lific. An  excellent  market  variety.  Originated  with  the 


Fig.  33. — LADY  FINGEK.        Fig.  G-i. — LADY  FINGER. 

late  Benjamin  Prosser,  Burlington,  New  Jersey.  Figure 
34  shows  a  berry  of  this  variety  of  medium  size,  and  figure 
33  one  of  the  largest. 

LongWOrth's  Prolific. — Large,  roundish,  oval  or  oblate, 
light  crimson,  sprightly  sub-acid,  and  good ;  plant  vigor- 
ous and  productive.  An  old  variety  but  little  cultivated, 
although  it  is  far  superior  to  many  new  ones.  Originated 
in  the  garden  of  the  late  Nicholas  Longworth,  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio. 

Lennig's  White.  (Albion  White,  White  Pine  Apple.) 
— Large,  obtuse-conical ;  seeds  prominent,  and  of  a  pink 
or  light  crimson  color ;  fruit  almost  white,  but  with  a  deli- 
cate blush  when  exposed  to  the  sun ;  flesh  pure  white, 
melting,  rich  and  sweet ;  plant  a  vigorous  grower,  and 
moderately  productive.  This  is  evidently  a  seedling  of 
Fragaria  grandiflora,  but  one  of  the  most  hardy  and 
productive,  and,  without  doubt,  the  best  white  variety 
known  in  this  country.  It  has  been  disseminated  under 


96 


SMALL    FRUIT    CULTUKIST. 


several  names,  either  through  mistake  or  design.  I  re- 
ceived it  under  the  three  different  names,  and  being  culti- 
vated in  separate  beds,  I,  like  many  others,  thought  that 
they  were  distinct,  until  beds  were  prepared  in  a  similar 
soil,  and  the  same  cultivation  given  to  each,  after  which 
no  difference  could  be  discovered.  I  have  since  learned 
through  Mr.  Meehan,  editor  of  the  Gardener's  Monthly, 
that  the  supposed  three  varieties  were  all  taken  from  the 
garden  of  the  originator,  Mr.  Lennig,  of  Germantown,  Pa. 

Metcalf's  Early, — A  new  variety  that  originated  at 
Kiles,  Michigan.  It  has  not  been  fruited  at  the  East,  and 
nothing  is  known  of  it  except  from  the  many  very  vague 
descriptions  that  have  appeared  in  western  papers  and  in 
nurserymen's  catalogues.  It  is  very  strange  that  those 
who  lavish  such  unlimited  praise  upon  a  new  fruit  do  not 
infornt  the  public  in  what  particular  it  differs  from  old  and 
well  known  varieties;  color,  size,  form,  and  how  much 
earlier  than  other  varieties,  are  points  which  have  not  been 
given  by  those  who  pretend  to  know  all  about  this  variety, 

Mead's  Seedling, — Medium  to 
large,  conical,  often  flattened ;  seeds 
very  prominent ;  light  bright  scar- 
let ;  very  firm,  quite  acid,  and  not 
high  flavored ;  moderately  produc- 
tive. Pistillate.  Originated  with 
Peter  B.  Mead  about  ten  years  ago, 
but  has  been  but  little  disseminated. 
Figure  35  shows  one  of  the  berries 
of  average  size. 

McAvoy'S  Superior, — Large,  ir- 
regular, roundish,  the  surface  being 
uneven,  with  prominent  projections ; 
color  varying  from  light  to  very  dark  crimson ;  the  flesh  be- 
ing dark  red,  soft,  sweet,  variable,  in  some  soils  rich  and 
sprightly,  in  others  insipid ;  vigorous,  and  usually  very 


Fig.  35.— MEAD'S  SEED- 
LING. 


STRAWBERRY.  97 

productive.  Pistillate.  The  originator  of  this  variety 
was  awarded  a  $100  prize  by  the  Cincinnati  Horticultural 
Society,  about  fifteen  years  ago,  and  since  that  time  it 
has  been  brought  forward  by  others  as  a  new  seedling 
of  their  own.  Francis  Brill,  of  Newark,  K.  J.,  exhibited 
it  at  the  Brooklyn  Horticultural  Society  as  a  new  seedling, 
and  was  awarded  a  premium  of  ten  dollars  for  the  best 
new  one  of  the  season.  He  named  it  General  McClellan. 
Abner  Bryant,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  a  few  years  since,  offered 
a  wonderful  new  seedling  under  the  name  of  Buffalo.  It 
was  largely  disseminated;  but  this,  like  the  McClellan, 
proved  to  be  the  old  McAvoy's  Superior. 

Monitor. — Large,  roundish,  conical,  with  long  neck; 
color  bright  scarlet ;  flesh  very  solid  and  firm,  sub-acid, 
not  rich,  but  highly  perfumed ;  vigorous  and  productive. 
A  good  market  variety.  One  of  the 
Tribune  prize  varieties.  Raised  from 
seed  of  the  Peabody  by  A.  S.  Fuller. 

New  Jersey  Scarlet.  —  Medium, 
conical,  light  bright  scarlet,  with  long 
neck,  moderately  firm,  sprightly  flavor, 
and  good  ;  very  early  and  productive ; 
the  plant  a  strong  and  vigorous  grower. 
Succeeds  admirably  on  the  light  sandy 
soils  of  New  Jersey.  An  excellent 
market  variety.  See  figure  36  for  size 
and  form.  Originated  near  Burlinsr-  _ 

Fig.     30.— NEW    JERSEY 

ton,  New  Jersey.  SCARLET. 

Old  John  Brown. — Very  large,  broadly  conic,  pointed, 
light  crimson,  sweet,  sprightly  and  good.  A  new  and 
promising  variety.  Originated  with  Dr.  H.  Schroeder, 
Bloomington,  Illinois. 

Perry's  Seedling. — Medium  to  large,  globular,  with  a 
6 


98  SMALL    FBUIT    CULTUlilST. 

slight  neck ;  color  bright  crimson  ;  sweet,  rich  and  spright- 
ly.    A  new  and  promising  variety. 
Raised   by    Geo.    Perry    &    Sons, 
Georgetown,  Conn.     See  figure  37. 

Ripawam.  (Faulkner's  King.}— 
Very  large,  coxcomb  shape,  light 
scarlet,  firm,  crisp  flesh,  sub-acid, 
and  inferior  flavor,  vigorous  and 
moderately  productive.  Its  large 
size  is  its  principal  recommendation. 
Originated  with  J.  W.  Faulkner, 
Stamford,  Conn.  Fig.  37.—  PEKRY'S  SEEDLING. 

Russell's  Prolific, — Very  large,  irregular,  roundish- 
conical,  with  neck,  deep  crimson,  moderately  firm,  sweet 
and  perfumed ;  quality  good,  in  sandy  soils  very  good ; 
the  flesh  is  lighter  colored  than  the  skin  ;  leaves  large,  with 
wavy  upper  surface ;  lobes  broadly  ovate.  This  variety 
and  the  McAvoy's  Superior  or  Buffalo  are  caid  to  be 
the  same  by  a  few  growers.  But  this  is  a  mistake.  Al- 
though the  fruit  has  a  general  resemblance,  that  of  the  Rus- 
sell will  average  much  larger ;  the  seeds  are  more  scattered, 
and  not  so  deeply  set  as  in  the  McAvoy's.  The  leaves  and 
general  appearance  of  the  plant  are  quite  distinct.  The 
leaves  of  the  Russell  are  light  colored,  the  upper  sur- 
face wavy,  and  the  lobes  broad ;  while  the  leaves  of  the 
McAvoy  are  darker  colored,  lobes  longer,  the  upper  sur- 
face not  wavy,  but  shining.  The  Russell  is  also  a  much 
coarser  and  stronger  grower,  and  a  better  berry  in  every 
respect.  There  is  much  confusion  and  difference  of  opinion 
in  regard  to  these  varieties,  but  I  am  quite  certain  that  the 
Russell  and  McAvoy's  Superior  are  very  distinct  in  the 
general  appearance  of  the  plant,  and  much  more  so  than 
many  other  varieties  that  might  be  named.  Pistillate. 
Originated  with  H.  Russell,  of  Seneca  Falls,  New  York,  in 
1856. 


STRAWBERRY.  99 

Scotch  Runner. — Small,  oval,  bright  scarlet,  good 
flavor.  Largely  cultivated  for  market  in  New  Jersey,  but 
should  have  been  discarded  long  ago,  and  its  place  filled 
by  larger  and  better  varieties.  Pistillate. 
Figure  38  shows  one  of  the  berries  of 
full  size. 

Scott's  Seedling.  (Scarlet  Runner.) — 
Medium,  elongated  conical,  bright  light 
scarlet,  very  handsome,  sweet,  rather  dry, 
not    high    flavored,    but    good ;     plants 
moderately  vigorous  and  productive.   An 
old  variety,  but  little  cultivated  at  pres- 
Fig.  38.— SCOTCH      ent ;    yet  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
varieties  we  possess.     Requires  good  cul- 
ture, and  with  it  will  yield  an  abundant  crop.     Originated 
about  twenty  years  ago  with  J.  Scott,  of  Brighton,  Mass. 

Scarlet  Magnate. — Large,  rounded,  compressed,  bright 
scarlet,  moderately  firm ;  flesh  white,  rather  dry,  sub-acid, 
not  rich  or  high  flavored ;  a  vigorous  grower,  and  quite 
productive.  Pistillate.  A  good  market  variety.  Origin- 
ated with  W.  R.  Prince. 

Stinger's  Seedling* — A  new  variety;  said  to  be  a  seed- 
ling of  the  Triomphe  de  Gand,  and  to  be  very  promising. 
Originated  with  Wm.  H.  Stinger,  near  Gray's  Ferry,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.  Called  "  Union  "  when  first  exhibited. 

White  Pine  Apple.— See  Lennig's  White. 

Wilson's  Albany,— Large,  irregular,  conical,  dark  crim- 
son, very  acid,  but  good ;  flesh  firm,  and  bears  transporta- 
tion well.  One  of  the  most  productive  varieties  known. 
The  plants  will  usually  fail  after  producing  one  full  crop, 
and  the  beds  should  be  frequently  renewed.  This  variety 
has  probably  done  more  towards  advancing  Strawberry 
culture  in  this  country  than  any  other  variety  that  has  ap- 
peared since  the  Hovey.  Originated  with  John  Wilson, 
Albany,  New  York. 


100  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTURIST. 

ADDITIONAL    LIST. 

There  are  probably  a  few  among  the  following  varieties 
that  are  equal  in  many  respects  to  those  already  described 
But  as  they  do  not  appear  at  the  present  time  to  have  any 
extended  reputation  for  excellence,  we  must  conclude  that 
they  do  not  possess  sufficient  good  qualities  to  make  them 
generally  popular. 

I  have  personally  tested  the  greater  portion  of  them,  and 
do  not  consider  them  worthy  of  an  extended  description 
or  recommendation ;  especially  when  we  have  so  many 
varieties  which  are  far  better. 

Still,  I  do  not  feel  called  upon  to  make  up  a  rejected  list 
of  my  own,  because  no  one  individual  is  competent  to  de- 
cide as  to  what  varieties  are  best  adapted  to  the  various 
soils  or  sections  of  the  country. 

The  originators  of  some  of  the  following  kinds  may  feel 
aggrieved  because  their  seedlings  are  placed  in  this  list ; 
yet,  as  these  varieties  have  been  placed  prominently  before 
the  public  for  many  years,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that 
they  are  wanting  in  good  qualities,  or  that  the  fruit  grow- 
ers have  but  little  confidence  in  the  assertions  of  the  origina- 
tors. Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
our  wide  awake  and  intelligent  fruit  growers  would  allow 
such  valuable  varieties,  as  some  of  the  following  kinds  are 
said  to  be  (by  the  originators),  to  remain  in  almost  total 
obscurity  if  they  did  possess  any  considerable  merit. 

These  remarks  apply  only  to  a  few  of  the  newer  varie- 
ties that  have  been  brought  forward  in  the  last  ten  years, 
because  there  are  some  that  have  been  widely  disseminated 
and  highly  appreciated  for  a  time,  but  were  afterwards 
thrown  out  to  give  room  for  those  that  were  better. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  some  of  those  that  have  been 
discarded  will  again  be  brought  forward,  and  under  new 
systems  of  cultivation  prove  to  be  worthy  of  greater  com' 
mendation  than  they  have  heretofore  received. 


STRAWBERRY. 


101 


I  have  appended  a  brief  notice  of  the  faults  as  well  as 
of  the  good  qualities  of  each  kind.  There  are  also  a  few 
new  ones  among  them ;  the  merits  of  which  are  not  fully 
known.  These  are  noted  as  new. 

The  first  forty-six  varieties  are  claimed  to  be  seedlings 
grown  by  Wm.  R.  Prince,  of  Flushing,  N.  Y.  About 
forty  of  them  have  been  offered  to  the  public  for  the  past 
six  to  fifteen  years.  I  give  their  names  without  comment. 
Those  marked  P.  are  pistillate  varieties : 


Adonis,  P. 
Ariadne,  P. 
Berenice,  P. 
Cornucopia,  P. 
Diadem,  P. 
Estelle, 
Excelsa,  P. 
Eureka,  P. 
Florence,  P. 
Fortunatus,  P. 
Fragrant  Scarlet, 
Globose  Scarlet,  P. 
Heroine, 

Imperial  Scarlet,  P. 
Iphigene, 
Lawrencia,  P. 
Le  Baron,  P. 
Ladies'  Favorite, 
Ladies'  Aromatic,  P. 
Large  Climax,  P. 
Minerva,  P. 
Melanie,  P. 


Ophelia, 

Perfumed  Pine, 

Priscilla, 

Paulinus,  P. 

Primate,  P. 

Prince's  Late  Globose,  P. 

Prince's  Scarlet  Climax,  P. 

Prince's  Excelsior,  P. 

Scarlet  Prolific, 

Sirius, 

Superlative,  P. 

Suprema,  P. 

Supreme  Staminate, 

Sapho, 

Seraphine,  P. 

Scarlet  Prize,  P. 

Trevirann,  P. 

Triumph, 

Triumvirate, 

Valencia, 

Victorine, 

Waverly, 

Welcome. 


Nathalie, 

American  Queen,    (Huntsman.) — Large,  bright  scarlet 
Pistillate. 

Byberrji — New ;  but  little  known. 


102  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

Boyden's  Mammoth,  (Seth  Hoyden.) — Very  similar 
to,  if  not  identical  with  Trollope's  Victoria. 

Baltimore  Scarlet  or  Scarlet  Runner,— Pistillate. 
Brook's  Prolific  is  the  old  Iowa  or  Washington. 

Barnes9  Seedling. — New.  Very  large  and  handsome. 
Promises  to  be  a  valuable  market  variety. 

Clinton* — A  new  variety.  Originated  near  Newark, 
New  Jersey. 

Dale's  Seedling, — New ;  but  little  known. 

Fragaria  lucida, — From  California.  Beautiful  foliage, 
but  unproductive. 

Faulkner's  King. — See  Ripawam  in  .preceding  list. 

General  Scott,  (Burgess.) — Large,  soft ;  of  the  Iowa 
class. 

Garibaldi,  (Burgess.) — Large,  crimson,  excellent  fla- 
vor, poor  grower. 

Genesee, — Large,  scarlet,  rather  soft,  prolific. 

Huntsman's  Monte  viedo. — Large,  bright  scarlet,  late, 
moderately  productive.  Pistillate. 

Jenny  Lind,  (Isaac  Fay.) — Very  early,  bright  scarlet, 
good,  but  too  small  and  unproductive. 

Little  Monitor,  (Burgess.) — Small,  excellent  flavor; 
but  appears  not  to  possess  sufficient  merit  to  attract  much 
attention. 

Leeds'  Prolific, — Medium,  light  scarlet.  Not  fully 
tested. 

Philadelphia, — New.  Much  extolled  by  growers  near 
Philadelphia,  b'ut  it  is  scarcely  known  elsewhere. 

Starr's  Seedling, — New ;  but  little  known*. 

Trembly's  Union. — Trollope's  Victoria  re-named,  and 
awarded  a  premium  as  a  new  variety  at  a  Strawberry 
show  in  New  York. 


STRAWBERRY.  103 

Victory.— Sent  out  by  Wm.  S.  Carpenter,  of  New  York. 
Large,  light  scarlet,  soft  and  insipid. 

Ward's  Favorite,  (Dr.  Ward.) — Medium,  round,  dark 
crimson,  excellent  flavor,  but  not  sufficiently  productive. 
Pistillate. 

Walker.  (Samuel  Walker.) — Small  to  medium,  conical, 
dark  crimson,  excellent  flavor,  not  productive. 

FOREIGN    VARIETIES. 

Evary  year  catalogues  containing  the  names  and  de- 
scriptions of  new  Strawberries  are  sent  us  from  Europe, 
and  we  are  invited  to  purchase,  being  promised  in  return 
for  our  money  something  better  than  any  heretofore 
known.  If  a  hundredth  part  of  the  improvement  claimed 
had  been  realized  from  year  to  year,  we  would  now  have 
Strawberries  so  much  superior  to  those  of  ten  years  ago, 
that  not  one  of  the  kinds  known  at  that  time  would  be 
in  cultivation.  But  we  regret  that  no  such  improvement 
has  been  made;  at  least,  if  it  was  observable  in  the  varie- 
ties at  home,  they  lost  it  all  in  their  journey  across  the 
Atlantic. 

Foreign  kinds  at  home  are,  no  doubt,  superior  to  our 
native  ones  in  those  countries,  and  the  same  rule  holds 
good  in  return ;  for  it  must  be  admitted  that,  although  an 
occasional  foreign  variety  will  succeed  in  particular  locali- 
ties and  soils,  there  are  comparatively  very  few  baskets 
of  the  fruit  seen  in  our  markets;  consequently  we  must 
conclude  that  they  are  principally  grown  by  amateurs  or 
those  who  propagate  the  plants  for  sale. 

Perhaps  it  is  owing  to  the  want  of  proper  cultivation 
that  the  foreign  kinds,  as  a  class,  have  not  become  as  pop- 
ular as  their  siipposed  merits  seem  to  deserve ;  but  be  this 
as  it  may,  there  are,  no  doubt,  one  hundred  acres  of  native 
kinds  in  cultivation  to  one  of  the  foreign. 

One  very  significant  fact  is  perhaps  worthy  of  notice 


104 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


here,  and  that  is,  in  the  list  of  Strawberries  adopted  bj. 
the  American  Pomological  Society,  in  1858,  for  general 
cultivation,  there  are  no  foreign  varieties  named,  and  but 
one  in  the  list  that  promises  well. 

In  the  reports  of  1862  and  1864  there  are  but  five  for- 
eign varieties  in  the  list,  and  but  two  of  these  have  any 
reputation  among  fruit  growers  who  cultivate  for  market. 

In  the  following  catalogue  I  have  named  only  those  of 
recent  introduction,  and  a  few  of  the  older  ones  that  have 
proved  to  be  moderately  wll  suited  to  our  climate.  The 
name  of  the  originator,  when  known,  is  given  in  parenthe- 
ses. The  varieties  are  principally  from  Belgium,  Holland, 
France  and  England.  All  are  bi-sexual  or  perfect  flower- 
ing kinds : 

Ambrosia.  (Nicholson.} — Large,  roundish,  dark  red, 
sweet  and  very  good,  moderately  vigorous  and  productive. 

Admiral  Duudas.  ( Myatt.) — Very  large,  irregular,  of- 
ten flattened,  pale  scarlet,  very  juicy,  and  brisk  flavored. 

Baron  Beman  de  Linnick.  (Makoy.)—Very  large, 
oblate  or  flat- 
tened cone,  light 
scarlet ;  seeds 
prominent;  flesh 
pink,  solid,  sweet 
and  perfumed. 

Boule     d'Or. 

(  Boisselot.  )  — 
Very  large, 
roundish,  flat- 
tened, figure  39 ; 
color  a  bright, 
glossy,  orange  Fig.  39.— BOULE  D'OR. 

scarlet;  seeds  prominent;  flesh  white,  sweet  and  good; 
plant  robust  and  moderately  productive. 

Bonte  de  St.  Julien.     (Carre.) — Medium  to  large,  coni- 


STRAWBERRY.  105 

cal,  dark  crimson,  sweet  and  good ;  plant  quite  vigorous 
and  very  productive. 

Bijou.  (De  Jonghe.) — Fruit  large,  regular,  bright, 
glossy  red ;  flesh  very  solid,  sweet  and  crisp ;  plant  a 
very  dwarf  grower,  and  with  me  very  unproductive. 

Bicolor.  (De  Jonghe.) — Medium,  conical,  light  crim- 
son, sweet  and  good.  A  poor  grower. 

Belle  de  Vibert.  ( Vibert.) — Large,  conical,  light  crim- 
son, sweet,  but  not  rich  ;  flesh  firm.  A  handsome  berry  ; 
succeeds  poorly,  except  in  a  very  few  localities. 

Belle  Artesienne,  (Demay.) — Very  large,  conical,  dark 
crimson,  poor  quality,  and  usually  unproductive. 

Carnolia  Magna.  (De  Jonghe.) — Large,  oval,  bright, 
glossy  vermillion ;  seeds  projecting;  flesh  solid,  pink, 
often  hollow  at  the  core,  juicy  and  sweet ;  productive. 

Deptford  Pine.  ( Myatt.) — Large,  pale  orange  scarlet, 
almost  white  in  the  shade,  very  sweet ;  the  plant  a  vigor- 
ous grower,  but  unproductive. 

Duke  de  Malakoff.  (Gloede.) — Very  large,  irregular, 
dark,  dull  red,  poor  flavor,  and  unproductive. 

Eliza.    (Myatts)—  See  rejected  list. 

Emma*  (De  Jonghe.) — Large,  obtuse-conical,  bright 
scarlet,  sweet  and  good ;  plant  hardy  and  moderately 
productive.  A  new  variety  that  promises  well 

Elton  Improved. — Raised  at  the  royal  garden  at  Frog- 
more,  England.  Large,  conical,  bright,  glossy  crimson; 
seeds  prominent ;  flesh  solid,  sweet,  and  good. 

Empress  Eugenic.  (Knevett.) — Very  large,  irregular, 
flattened,  dull  crimson,  poor  flavor,  unproductive. 

Frogmore  Late  Pine,    (Ingram.) — Very  large,  conical, 
sometimes  flattened,  brilliant  crimson,  firm  flesh,  and  of 
good  quality.     A  magnificent  berry,  but  the  plant  burns 
badly  in  summer,  and  is  unproductive. 
5* 


106 


SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


Goliath*  (Kittley's.) — An  old  variety  placed  in  the  re- 
jected list  by  the  American  Pomological  Society  in  1858, 
but  still  praised  by  a  few  growers.  It  is  worthless. 

Gwentver.  (Mrs.  Clements.) — Medium,  roundish  or 
flattened,  bright  scarlet ;  flesh  pink,  juicy  and  sweet ; 
vigorous,  moderately  productive  and  ea»rly. 

Haquin.  (Haquin.) — Fruit  large,  flattened  cone,  bright 
red ;  seeds  prominent ;  flesh  solid,  white,  juicy  and  sweet ; 
plant  hardy,  requires  very  high  culture  and  a  moist  soil 
to  insure  even  a  moderate  crop. 

Hero.  (De  Jonghe.) — Large,  of  a  regular,  globular 
shape,  bright  red ;  flesh  carmine,  very  sweet ;  early. 

Hillman* — Medium  to  large,  oval,  bright  scarlet.  New ; 
from  Germany ;  not  fully  tested. 

J  lie  Hilda.  (Salter.) — Large,  conical,  bright  light  crim- 
son or  dark  scarlet,  excellent  flavor;  a  good  grower,  but 

rather  tender ;  moderately 
productive.  Figure  40.  This 
variety  has  lately  been  reviv- 
ed under  the  name  of  Knox's 
700,  and  it  is  said  to  be 
very  prolific  in  Mr.  Knox's 
grounds  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
I  have  cultivated  it  for  six 
or  seven  years,  but  it  has 
never  proved  to  be  any  more 
productive  than  the  mass  of 
foreign  kinds  which  I  have 
Fig.  40.— JUCUNDA.  tried.  If  it  should  prove 

valuable  at  the  West,  it  will  only  be  another  instance 
among  the  many  where  the  success  of  a  variety  is  only 
local. 

Kate.  (Mrs.  Clements.)  —  Medium,  conical,  bright 
glossy  red,  solid,  juicy,  sweet,  but  sprightly;  very  early. 


STRAWBERRY.  107 

Kimberley  Pine,  (Kimberley} — Large,  irregular,  oval 
or  flattened,  bright  crimson ;  seeds  very  prominent ;  flesh 
very  solid,  red,  juicy  and  brisk;  productive,  and  late  in 
ripening. 

La  Constitute.  (De  Jonghe} — Large,  regular,  conical, 
bright  crimson,  fine  flavor  ;  flesh  firm  ;  ripens  late.  One 
of  the  most  beautiful  Strawberries  known.  The  plant  is 
a  dwarf  grower,  and  requires  a  moist,  rich  soil,  and  even 
under  the  highest  culture  it  is  not  very  productive. 

La  Sultanne.  (De  Jonghe.} — Large,  conical,  bright 
deep  scarlet,  of  excellent  flavor,  but  the  plant  a  poor 
grower,  and  unproductive. 

Lucida  Perfecta,  (G-loede.) — Said  to  be  a  cross  be- 
tween the  British  Queen  and  the  Fragaria  lucida  of  Cal- 
ifornia. Large,  round,  bright  salmon  color ;  flesh  solid, 
sweet  and  rich.  It  is  worthless  with  me,  but  it  is  said  to 
do  well  in  some  localities. 

Lorenz  Booth.  (De  Jonghe.} — Large,  oval,  bright 
glossy  red  ;  flesh  dark  crimson,  solid,  sweet,  but  sprightly ; 
hardy. 

Leon  de  Saint  Laumer,  (Dupuy  Jamin.) — Large, 
conical^  bright  pale  scarlet;  flesh  carmine,  rich,  juicy  and 
sweet ;  moderately  prolific. 

Lucas,  (De  Jonghe} — Large,  roundish,  oval,  glossy 
crimson ;  flesh  hard,  firm  and  crisp  ;  good  flavor,  and  a 
very  good  grower. 

Marguerite,  (Le  Breton} — Very  large,  long,  conical, 
pale  scarlet,  sweet,  but  rather  insipid.  With  extra  culti 
vation  it  is  quite  productive,  but  the  plant  is  naturally 
feeble.  A  very  fine  show  fruit. 

Napoleon  III. — Fruit  large,  of  a  brilliant  crimson ; 
flesh  firm,  juicy ;  plant  vigorous.  The  Austin  has  been 
sent  out  from  several  establishments  in  this  country  under 
this  name. 


108 


SMALL    FRUIT    CULTURIST. 


Oscar.  (Bradley.) — Large,  slightly  conical,  dark  crim- 
son, sweet,  rich  and  good.  A  very  handsome  variety,  re- 
quiring extra  culture. 

Prince's  Frederick  William,     (Niv'm.) — Large,  round- 
ish,  often    flattened,    light    crimson, 
sweet,  of  fair  quality,  early,  moderate- 
ly productive;  plant  quite  tender. 

Souvenir  de  Kieff.  (De  Jonghe.) — 
Very  large,  flat  cone ;  seeds  very  pro- 
minent ;  bright  glossy  crimson ;  flesh 
solid,  pale  red,  juicy  and  good. 

Sabreur,  (Mrs.  Clements.) — Medi- 
um, conical  (see  fig.  41) ;  color  bright 
orange  scarlet ;  seeds  very  prominent ; 
flesh  solid,  white,  sweet,  and  of  high 
flavor;  productive. 

Topsy,  (De  Jonghe.) — Medium,  elongated,  conical, 
(see  figure  42,)  bright  light  scarlet,  sweet,  sprightly  and 
good;  plant  moderately  vigorous  and  productive. 


Fig.  41.—  SABKEUR. 


Fig.  42. — TOPSY.  Fig.  43. — TKIOMPHE  DE  GAND. 

Triomphe  de  Gand. — Very  large,   irregular,   conical, 


STRAWBERRY. 


109 


but  often  flattened,  as  in  figure  43,  bright  crimson ;  flesh 
firm,  crisp,  not  rich,  rather  mild  flavor.  This  variety  has 
probably  been  more  extensively  cultivated  and  given  bet- 
ter satisfaction  than  any  other  foreign  variety  ever  intro- 
duced. Among  the  hundreds  I  have  tried,  this  has  pleased 
inc  most,  because  with  good  culture  it  has  never  failed  to 
give  a  large  crop. 

Vicomptesse  Hericart  de  Theury,  (Jamin  and  Du- 
rand. )  —  Large,  irregular,  conical,  sometimes  flattened, 
dark  scarlet  or  light  crimson  ;  flesh  firm,  sweet,  rich  and 
excellent ;  early  and  productive.  This  variety,  like  the 
Triompbe,  has  been  cultivated  and  widely  disseminated, 
and  may  be  placed  as  second  to  none  of  the  foreign  kinds. 

Vineuse  de  Nantes*  (Boisselot.) — Medium  to  large, 
flattened,  figure  -44,  bright  glossy  crimson ;  seeds  very 
prominent ;  flesh  red,  solid  and  sweet,  with  a  peculiar  vin- 
ous flavor. 


iiT.  44.— VLNEUSE   DE  NANTES.  Fig.  45. — VICTORIA. 

Victoria.  (TroHope's.) — Figure  45.  Very  large,  round- 
ish-conical, light  pale  scarlet ;  seeds  slightly  imbedded, 
and  set  wide  apart ;  flesh  nearly  white,  juicy,  but  not  rich, 
often  insipid.  The  productiveness  of  this  variety  is  ex- 
tremely variable ;  in  some  soils  it  is  very  prolific,  while  in 
others,  apparently  as  rich,  it  is  unproductive.  It  is  an 


110  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

old  English  variety,  discarded  by  nearly  every  cultivator 
in  the  country,  yet  it  has  been  frequently  brought  out  un- 
der a  new  name.  Trembly's  Union  proved  to  be  this 
variety,  and  was  so  declared  by  several  fruit  growers 
when  it  was  first  exhibited.  The  Golden  Queen  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  is  also  said  to  be  the  Victoria. 

I  might  add  a  hundred  varieties  more  to  this  list,  but  it 
would  be  only  increasing  the  number  of  names  without  ad- 
ding any  merit,  and  it  is  very  likely  that  before  these 
pages  are  read  by  fruit  growers  there  will  be  another  list 
of  new  kinds  announced. 

ALPINE    STRAWBERRIES. 

Alpine  Redi  (American  Alpine,  Berancon,  De  Mon- 
treuil  a  Fruit  Rouge,  De  Montreuil  a  Marteau,  Fressant, 
Dent  de  Cheval,  De  Ville  de  Bois.) — Medium,  conical; 
seeds  projecting ;  light  crimson  or  dark  scarlet,  mild  sub- 
acid,  not  rich,  but  good  ;  plant  very  hardy,  and  moder- 
ately productive. 

Alpine  Red,  monthly.  (Autumnal  Galande,  Des  Al- 
pes  a  Fruit  Rouge,  Des  Alpes  de  tous  les  Mois  a  Fruit 
Rouge,  Des  Alpes  de  deux  Saisons  a  Fruit  Rouge,  Des 
Alpes  de  quatre  Saisons,  Alpine  Rouge,  Scarlet  Alpine, 
Prolific  Alpine,  Poitou  Alpine  Monthly,  Versailles  Al- 
pine Monthly,  La  Mendonaise,  Glory  de  Nancy  Alpine, 
&c.,  <fcc.) — Similar  to  the  common  Red  Alpine,  but  pro- 
duces a  continuous  crop  throughout  the  entire  summer. 
Requires  high  culture. 

Alpine  White.  (Alpine  Blanc,  De  Montreuil  a  Fruit 
Blanc.) — Same  as  the  first,  except  in  color  of  fruit,  which 
is  white,  and  the  leaves  are  of  a  lighter  green. 

Alpine  White,  Monthly.  (Alpine  Blanc,  Des  Alpes  a 
Fruit  Blanc,  Des  Alpes  de  quatre  Saisons,  <&c.) — Same  as 
the  common  White  Alpine,  except  that  it  bears  a  continu- 
ous crop  through  the  summer. 


STRAWBERRY.  Ill 

Bush  Alpine,  Red.  (Wood  Strawberry,  Buisson  a 
Fruit  Rouge,  Gommun  sans  Filets,  Sans  Coulans  Or- 
dinaire, Sans  Filets'  Ordinaire,  De  Gaillon  a  Fruit 
Rouge,  &c.) — Medium,  roundish-ovate,  sub-acid,  rather 
dry,  agreeable ;  plant  produces  few  or  no  runners ;  propa- 
gated by  dividing  the  plants.  Suitable  for  edgings  of 
walks,  or  cultivating  in  pots  or  in  very  small  gardens. 

Bush  Alpine,  White.  ( White  Wood  Strawberry,  Buis- 
sons  des  Alpes  Blanc,  Buissons  a  Fruit  Blanc,  <&c.) — 
Same  as  the  last,  except  in  color  of  fruit.  There  are  two 
other  varieties,  one  with  red  and  the  other  with  white 
fruit,  similar  in  every  respect  to  the  above,  except  they 
continue  in  bearing  all  the  season. 

Green  Alpine*  (De  Bargemont,  Breslinge  d9  Angle- 
terre,  Caucasian,  Green  Pine  Apple,  Green  Wood,  Pow- 
dered Pine,  Verte  cTAngleterre,  Frasier  Vert,  William's 
Green  Pine,  Gilberts  Large  Brown,  &c.) — This  variety 
is  by  some  supposed  to  be  a  distinct  species,  but  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  plant  and  fruit  show  it  to  be  a  true  Al- 
pine. Fruit  small,  roundish,  depressed,  greenish  brown ; 
flesh  green,  with  a  somewhat  musky  flavor.  Cultivated 
more  as  a  curiosity  than  for  its  fruit. 

One  Leaved  Alpine.  (Fragaria  monophylla.) — Leaves 
simple,  not  divided;  fruit  same  as  the  last.  Raised  in 
France  in  1761  by  Duchesne.  Figured  and  described  in 
Curtis'  Botanical  Magazine,  vol.  2,  1788,  plate  63.  Prob- 
ably not  now  in  cultivation. 

HAUTBOIS    STRAWBERRIES. 

Belle  Bordelais. — Roundish-oval,  dark  brownish  pur 
pie ;  flesh  white,  juicy,  sweet,  with  a  strong  musky  flavor. 
Said  to  produce  a  second  crop  in  autumn,  but  has  not 
with  me,  although  I  have  given  it  good  culture  for  the 
past  six  years. 

Common  Uautbois.  (Fragaria  elatior,  Dioecious  Haut- 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

bois,  Musky  Hautbois,  <&c.) — Medium,  roundish  or  ovate, 
reddish  green,  strong  musky  flavor;  fruit  stems  project- 
ing above  the  leaves.  Hence  the  name  Hautboy  or  High- 
wood. 

There  are  several  varieties,  the  difference  between  them 
being  very  slight.  The  most  common  are  : 

Black  Hunt  hois. — Medium,  ovate,  dark  reddish  brown. 

Globe  Hautbois, — Roundish  ovate,  reddish  green. 

Long  Fruited  Muscatelle. — Oblong,  rather  small,  late. 

Prolific  Hautbois.  (Double  I!  ear  ing.  Hermaphrodite, 
Regent's  Dwarf,  Sacombe,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  Caper  on 
Royal,  <fcc.) — Conical;  large  for  this  class;  flowers  quite 
large.  One  of  the  best. 

Monstrous  IfautboiS. — New.  Said  to  be  very  large  for 
one  of  its  class.  There  is  a  variety  being  disseminated 
under  this  name,  which  does  not  belong  to  the  Hautbois 
species. 

The  Hautbois  varieties  are  very  little  cultivated  in  this 
country,  as  there  are  very  few  Americans  who  like  their 
peculiar  musky  flavor. 

REJECTED    VARIETIES. 

The  following  varieties  of  Strawberries  were  rejected 
by  the  American  Pomological  Society  in  1858.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  this  society  has  not  made  many  more  addi- 
tions to  the  list  at  its  biennial  sessions  held  since  that  time: 

Aberdeen  Bee-hive,  Burr's  Ohio  Mammoth, 

Alice  Maud,  Burr's  Profusion, 

Athlete,  Burr's  Scioto, 

Belle  de  Pallua,  Burr's  Seedling, 

Bostock,  Chester, 

Bretonneau,  Cob's  Prolific, 

Britannia,  Compte  de  Flandres, 

Burr's  Columbus,  Compte  de  Paris, 

Burr's  Late  Prolific,  Comtesse  de  Marne, 


STRAWBERRY. 


113 


Cremont  Perpetual, 

CuthilPs  Black  Prince, 

Downton, 

Due  de  Brabant, 

Duche'sse  de  Trevise, 

Early  May, 

Eberlin, 

Elton  Pine, 

Excellent, 

French  Cucumber, 

French  Hautbois, 

French  Musk, 

Garden  of  Eden, 

General  Jacqueminot, 

Goliath  (Kitley's), 

Honneur  de  Belgique, 

Hooper's  Seedling, 

Ingrain's  Prince  of  Wales, 

Keen's  Seedling, 

Knevet's  Pine, 

La  Delicieuse, 

La  Liegeoise, 

La  Merveille  de  Flandres, 

Lizzie  Randolph, 

Magnum  Bonum, 

Methven  Scarlet, 

Myatt's  Eliza, 

Necked  Pine  (Ohio), 

Nicholson's  Ajax, 


Nicholson's  Ruby, 

Nimrod, 

Old  Pine, 

Patrick's  Seedling, 

Pistillate  Keen, 

Premices  de  Bagnolet, 

Prince  Albert, 

Prince  of  Orleans, 

Prince  of  Wales  (Cuthill's), 

Princess  Royal, 

Richardson's  Cambridge, 

Richardson's  Early, 

Richardson's  Late, 

Roseberry, 

Royal  Pine, 

Royal  Scarlet, 

Schiller, 

Schneike's  Pistillate, 

Southborough  Seedling, 

Stirling  Castle, 

Surprise, 

Swainston's  Seedling, 

Taylor's  Seedling, 

Unique  Scarlet, 

Versaillaise, 

Walworth, 

Washington, 

Willey. 


CHAPTER    III. 


RASPBERRY. 

NATURAL  FAMILY  ROSACES. 

[RuBus.— The  Latin  name  for  the  Raspberry  and  Blackberry  derived  from  the 
Celtic  rub,  red ;  French  name,  Framboisier  ;  German,  Himbeeren  Strauch  ;  Dutch, 
Frarriboos ;  Italian,  Rava-ideo  ,•  Spanish,  Framtweso ;  the  old  English  name  ia 
Raspis  or  Hindberry.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

Perennial  herbs,  or  somewhat  shrubby  plants,  with 
biennial  woody  stems ;  flowers,  white  or  red  ;  petals,  five 
deciduous ;  stamens  many ;  seeds  collected  on  a  spongy, 
succulent  receptacle,  becoming  small  drupes.  In  the  Rasp- 
berry, that  which  is  called  the  fruit,  is  a  collective  mass  of 
drupes,  which  readily  parts  from  the  dry  receptacle  when 
ripe. 

SPECIES. 

Our  native  species  are  divided  into  three  classes  by  Dr. 
Gray,  as  follows : 

CLASS  1. — Leaves  simple;  flowers  large,  prickles  none; 
fruit  and  receptacle  flat. 

Rubus  odoratUS. — Purple  Flowering  Raspberry. — Stem 
shrubby,  three  to  five  feet  high ;  branches,  stalks  and  ca- 
lyx bristly,  with  glandular,  clammy  hairs  ;  leaves  three  to 
five  lobed ;  the  lobes  pointed  and  minutely  toothed,  the 
middle  one  prolonged;  peduncles  many  flowered,  purple 
rose-colored;  fruit  variable  in  size,  from  two  or  three 
114 


RASPBERRY.  115 

grains  to  nearly  an  inch  in  diameter,  red,  with  a  rather 
dry,  musky  flavor.  Common,  in  most  of  the  Northern 
States,  in  high  rocky  places.  It  is  sometimes  called  Thim- 
bleberry,  Mulberry,  &c. 

Kiilws  Nlltkanus, — White  Flowering  Raspberry.— 
Leaves  almost  equally  five-lobed,  scarcely  bristly  ;  petals 
oval,  white,  very  much  like  the  last,  and  probably  only  a 
variety  of  It.  odoratus.  Northern  Michigan  and  west- 
ward. 

R.  ChamxmorilS. — Cloudberry. — Herbaceous,  low  dioeci- 
ous ;  stem  simple ;  two  to  three  leaved ;  one  flowered ; 
leaves  roundish,  kidney  form,  somewhat  five-lobed  ;  petals 
white ;  grains  few,  amber  color.  Native  of  Europe,  par- 
ticularly in  the  more  northern  portions,  also  in  the  high 
mountains  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire,  and  in  the 
Canadas. 

CLASS  2. — Leaves  compound,  of  3  to  5  leaflets.  Stems 
annual,  herbaceous,  not  prickly ;  fruit  of  a  few  separate 
grains. 

R.  triflorus. — Dwarf  Raspberry. — Stems  erect,  six  to 
twelve  inches  high  or  trailing ;  leaflets  three ;  rhombic- 
ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate,  acute  at  both  ends,  coarsely, 
doubly  serrate,  thin,  smooth ;  peduncles  one  to  three 
flowered.  Woody  hill  sides  throughout  the  Northern 
States.  Not  in  cultivation,  and  no  improved  varieties 
known. 

CLASS  3. — Leaves  as  in  Class  2.  Stems  biennial  and 
woody,  prickly ;  receptacle  oblong  ;  fruit  hemispherical. 

R.  StrigOSUS. — Wild  Red  Raspberry. — Stems  upright, 
beset  with  stiff,  straight  bristles;  leaflets  three  to 
five,  oblong,  ovate,  pointed,  cut  serrate,  whitish  downy 
underneath;  fruit  light  red,  finely  flavored.  Common 
everywhere,  and  many  varieties  of  it  in  cultivation. 

R*  occidental* — Black  Raspberry. — Stems  recurved, 
armed  with  hooked  prickles ;  leaflets  three,  sometimes 


116  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

five,  ovate,  pointed,  coarsely  serrate,  whitened  under- 
neath ;  fruit  purple  or  black,  occasionally  yellowish  white. 
A  variable  species. 

Id  IdiCUSt — European  Raspberry. — Stems  erect,  woody, 
prickles,  slender,  straight ;  leaves  trifoliate ;  leaflets  ovate, 
deeply  serrate,  whitish  tomentose  beneath,  green  above ; 
flowers  white  ;  fruit  red  or  yellowish  white ;  root  perennial, 
creeping,  producing  numerous  suckers.  Common  garden 
Raspberry.  Native  of  various  portions  of  Europe,  and 
probably  of  Asia.  It  derived  the  name  Idseus  from  Mount 
Ida — this  name  being  given  it  by  the  Greeks. 

There  are  many  other  species  of  the  Raspberry,  natives 
of  different  portions  of  the  world.  In  fact,  there  is 
scarcely  a  country  with  which  we  have  any  communi- 
cation that  does  not  possess  one  or  more  species.  Many 
of  these  have  been  introduced,  but  so  far  none  have 
proved  of  sufficient  value  to  be  worthy  of  cultivation. 

The  M.  Japonicus,  which  was  disseminated  a  few  years 
since  from  the  experimental  garden  at  Washington,  was 
supposed  at  the  time  to  be  of  value,  but  it  proved  to  be 
too  tender  for  open  air  culture  at  the  North,  and  we  have 
no  accounts  of  it  from  the  South.  The  Salmon-berry  of 
the  N.  W.  Coast,  JR.  maGropetalus,  has  been  introduced 
into  cultivation  in  California,  and  some  few  plants  have 
been  brought  East  during  the  present  winter,  and  we 
shall  probably  soon  know  if  it  be  adapted  to  our  climate. 

The  R.  IdcBus  has  given  thus  far  all  the  varieties  from 
abroad  worthy  of  cultivation.  But  from  our  native  spe- 
cies, Rubus  strigosus  and  R.  occidentalis^  a  number  of 
very  valuable  varieties  have  been  produced. 

HISTORY. 

Pliny,  the  elder,  who  is  supposed  to  have  written  his 
natural  history  about  the  year  45,  mentions  the  Raspberry 
as  one  of  the  wild  brambles,  which  the  Greeks  called 


RASPBERRY.  117 

Palladium,  a  Roman  agricultural  writer,  who  flourished 
in  the  fourth  century,  or  about  fourteen  hundred  years 
ago,  mentions  the  Raspberry  as  one  of  the  cultivated 
fruits  of  his  time. 

Tusser,  Gerarde  and  Parkinson  mention  the  Red  Rasp- 
berry, and  Miller  adds  the  White  as  among  the  varieties 
of  his  time. 

But  like  most  of  the  other  small  fruits,  very  little  im- 
provement was  made  until  within  the  past  century,  as  the 
old  gardeners  depended  mainly  upon  the  wild  plants, 
which  they  obtained  from  the  woods  of  their  own  or 
some  foreign  country. 

PROPAGATION. 

BY  SEEDS. — Growing  from  seed  is  only  to  be  recom- 
mended for  the  purpose  of  producing  new  varieties. 
Gather  the  fruit  when  fully  ripe,  and  either  dry  it  and 
preserve  the  seeds  in  this  manner  until  wanted  for  plant- 
ing, or  wash  the  seed  from  the  pulp  and  preserve  in  sand, 
or  sow  them  immediately  in  the  open  ground.  Raspberry 
seeds  possess  great  vitality,  and  may  be  kept  sound  for 
years  in  any  cool  dry  place.  If  sown  in  the  fall  they  will 
germinate  early  in  spring,  and  usually  produce  canes  suf- 
ficiently strong  to  fruit  the  second  year.  If  the  seed  is 
from  a  tender  variety,  then  the  young  plants  should  be 
protected  in  winter,  either  by  being  taken  up  and  heeled-in, 
or  by  bending  down  and  covering  with  soil.  It  is  usually 
better  to  take  up  the  seedlings  in  the  fall  and  heel  them 
in  until  spring,  then  plant  again,  cutting  them  down  close 
to  the  ground  at  the  time.  This  will  cause  them  to  throw 
up  strong  canes,  that  will  produce  fruit  the  next  (third) 
year  in  sufficient  quantities  to  enable  the  grower  to  deter- 
mine very  nearly  its  relative  value  to  other  kinds. 

BY  ROOTS  AND  ROOT  CUTTINGS. — A  larger  portion  of 
the  varieties  of  the  Raspberry  in  cultivation  produce 


118  SMALL   FBUIT   CULTURISli 

suckers  from  the  roots,  or  what  may  be  properly  called 
underground  stems. 

There  is,  however,  one  species,  and  its  varieties,  which 
does  not,  as  a  rule,  multiply  in  this  manner,  but  as  this  is 
only  a  single  exception,  I  will  give  the  method  of  its  prop- 
agation under  the  head  of  layers. 

Some  varieties  produce  suckers  in  great  abundance, 
while  others  do  so  sparingly.  This  manner  of  propagation 
being  a  natural  one,  we  take  advantage  of  it,  and  not  only 
allow  the  plants  to  produce  suckers  ^naturally,  but  dig  up 
the  roots  and  cut  them  into  small  pieces,  and  force  each  to 
produce  a  plant,  thus  increasing  the  number  many  fold. 

To  save  repetition  I  will  give  a  rule  which  will  apply  to 
all  of  the  members  of  this  great  family  of  plants,  whether 
it  be  the  Rose,  Raspberry,  Blackberry,  Apple,  Pear,  Plum, 
&c.,  &c.,  and  that  is,  any  of  them  which  naturally  pro- 
duce suckers  from  the  roots  may  be  readily  propagated 
from  cuttings  of  the  same.  Those  which  produce  them 
most  abundantly  are  the  most  readily  multiplied  in  this 
manner.  Whether  it  would  be  advisable  to  employ  this 
means  of  propagation  upon  every  variety  or  species  which 
is  susceptible  of  it,  is  an  open  question,  but  upon  the  spe- 
cies now  under  consideration,  there  is  scarcely  a  doubt  of 
its  utility ;  therefore  I  will  give  the  manner  in  which  I 
usually  propagate  those  varieties  of  Raspberries  which 
naturally  produce  suckers,  as  well  as  all  of  the  varieties 
and  species  of  the  Blackberry.  I  follow  the  same  plan 
for  both,  and  with  equally  good  results. 

Take  up  the  roots  when  the  plants  have  ceased  growing, 
and  cut  them  into  pieces  of  from  one  to  three  inches  in 
length.  Then  prepare  some  boxes,  by  boring  holes  in  the 
bottom  to  insure  a  good  drainage,  and  place  a  layer  of 
straw  over  the  holes  to  prevent  the  soil  from  falling 
through  ;  put  on  an  inch  or  two  of  soil,  over  this  a  layer  of 
roots,  then  a  layer  of  soil,  and  so  on  until  the  box  is  full 


RASPBERRY.  119 

Bury  the  boxes  containing  the  roots  on  a  dry  knoll  or 
slight  elevation  in  the  garden,  bank  them  up  with  soil, 
and  cover  so  deeply  that  the  roots  will  not  be  frozen.  In 

addition  to  this,  it  is 
well  to  cover  the 
whole  with  boards 
to  carry  off  the  wa- 
ter, and  if  the  soil  is 
naturally  tenacious 
Fi-.  46  -BOX  OP  CUTTINGS.  anj  wet>  a  small  ex- 

cavation should  be  made  at  a  point  that  will  be  under  the 
center  of  the  box  when  put  in  place,  as  shown  in  figure  46. 
This  arrangement  will  allow  any  surplus  moisture  which 
may  accumulate  in  the  boxes  to  drain  off.  Early  in  spring, 
as  soon  as  the  weather  and  soil  will  permit,  take  out  the 
roots  and  plant  them  in  good  rich  soil,  placing  the  pieces 
about  three  or  four  inches  apart,  in  drills,  and  covering 
two  to  four  inches  deep,  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
soil.  If  it  is  a  heavy  one,  two  inches  will  be  sufficient. 
When  the  plants  are  to  be  cultivated  with  the  plow  or 
cultivator,  the  drills  should  be  three  feet  apart ;  but  the 
best  method  is  to  place  them  not  more  than  eighteen 
inches  or  two  feet  apart,  and  cultivate  entirely  with  the 
hoe  or  fork.  In  a  naturally  dry  and  porous  soil,  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  cover  the  entire  surface,  at  the  time  of  plant- 
ing, with  a  liberal  dressing  of  some  coarse  material  as  a 
mulch.  This  will  insure  a  supply  of  moisture,  and  often 
save  a  large  portion  of  the  cuttings,  if  not  the  entire 
stock.  Cuttings  made  in  the  fall,  and  placed  where  they 
will  not  freeze  during  winter,  have  an  advantage  over 
those  made  in  the  spring,  from  the  fact  that  the  peculiar 
process  which  always  precedes  the  formation  of  roots, 
called  the  callus,  has  sufficient  time  for  full  development 
before  actual  root  growth  commences.  The  new  roots  are 
usually  emitted  from  the  ends  of  the  cuttings  where  the 
callus  appears.  The  callus  is  always  produced  first,  roots 


120  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUBIST. 

succeed  it,  but  what  relation  the  callus  bears  to  the  root 
is  not  fully  known ;  it  appears  to  hold  the  same  relation 
to  it  that  the  cotyledons  of  some  seeds  do  to  the  germ, 
i.  e.,  it  supplies  the  roots  with  the  necessary  food  until 
they  are  able  to  extract  it  from  the  soil  themselves. 

The  buds  from  which  the  stems  are  produced  are  dis- 
tinctly adventitious,  that  is,  they  do  not  arise  from  any 
previously  formed  or  latent  bud,  but  are  developed  from 
the  matter  between  the  bark  and  wood.  From  this  point 
the  bud  originates ;  first,  by  a  very  minute  aggregation 
of  cells,  which  assumes  a  conical  shape,  pressing  outward 
through  the  bark  and  up  to  the  surface,  where  the  leaves 
are  spread  out  to  the  light  and  air.  Sometimes  several 
buds  will  be  produced  on  a  very  small  piece  of  root ;  but 
when  this  occurs  all  will  be  comparatively  feeble  if  they 
continue  to  grow.  In  a  majority  of  such  cases  the 
strongest  of  them  will  take  the  lead  and  the  others  fail. 

Figure  47  shows  a  piece  of  root  with  two  shoots,  one  of 
which  has  reached  the  surface,  and  the  leaves  expanding. 
Plants  grown  in  this  manner  are  much  better  than  those 
produced  in  the  natural  manner  from  suckers,  because 
they  are  more  abundantly  supplied  with  fibrous  roots. 
Root  cuttings  of  from  one  to  three  inches  in  length,  plant- 
ed in  good  soil,  will  make  plants  one  to  three  feet  high 
the  first  season.  Plants  may  also  be  taken  up,  and  the 
roots  made  into  cuttings,  in  the  spring,  and  planted  in  the 
same  manner  as  described  for  those  made  in  the  fall. 

When  the  variety  is  very  scarce,  then  any  small  roots 
may  be  used  for  propagating,  but  in  such  cases  it  is  best 
not  to  attempt  it  in  the  open  ground,  but  place  them  in  a 
propagating  house.  Cut  the  roots  into  pieces  of  from  one- 
half  to  one  inch  long,  mix  with  sand,  and  place  in  a  warm 
situation,  but  not  in  so  high  a  temperature  as  to  force  the 
formation  of  buds.  When  the  callus  is  formed,  and  buds 
begin  to  show  themselves  upon  the  surface,  which  they 
should  do  in  four  to  six  weeks,  place  them  in  soil  com- 


RASPBERRY. 


121 


posed  of  equal  parts  of  leaf  mold  and  sand,  and  in  a  posi- 
tion where  they  will  receive  a  heat  of  seventy-five  to 
ninety  degrees. 

When  the  plants  have  made  a  growth  of  four  to  six 
inches,  they  may  be  potted  singly,  or  planted  out  into  the 
open  ground,  provided  the  weather  is  warm  and  there  is 
no  danger  of  their  becoming  checked  by  cold. 


47.  —  HOOT   CUTTING. 


Root  cuttings,  however,  produce  the  very  best  plants, 
and  the  number  that  can  be  made  from  the  roots  of  one 
large  stool,  if  given  proper  care,  is  much  greater  than 
one  would  suppose  who  has  never  tried  it. 

There  will  be  occasionally  a  variety  whose  roots  will 

develop  buds  very  slowly  with  ordinary  care,  and  they 

require   a  little  forcing.     With  such  kinds  I  have  some- 

times found  it  beneficial  to  place  the  boxes  of  roots  in  a 

6 


122  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

warm  cellar  or  room,  during  winter,  being  careful  not  to 
keep  them  so  wet  as  to  cause  them  to  rot,  nor  so  dry  that 
they  will  shrivel.  In  a  warm  situation,  and  with  proper 
care  in  keeping  them  just  moist  and  no  more,  both  buds 
and  roots  are  sure  to  be  produced  by  planting  time  in 
spring. 

LAYERS. — Layering,  as  a  means  of  propagating  the 
Raspberry  or  Blackberry,  is  seldom  practiced,  neither  is 
it  to  be  recommended,  except  in  cases  of  extreme  scarcity. 
To  succeed  with  this  mode,  the  layers  must  be  put  down 


Fig.  48  —  MANNER  OF  GROWTH  OF  BLACK  CAP. 

early  in  the  season,  so  soon  as  the  young  canes  are  of  suf- 
ficient size  to  be  conveniently  handled.  A  tongue  should 
be  made  on  the  layer  as  with  hard  wooded  plants,  al- 
though with  some  varieties  of  the  R.  occidentalis,  this  is 
not  necessary,  as  every  portion  of  the  branch  that  is  cov- 
ered will  readily  emit  roots.  Most  of  the  varieties  of  this 
species  grow  in  the  form  shown  in  figure  48.  The  canes 
grow  very  strong  and  stocky  at  the  base,  gradually  becom- 
ing slender,  and  the  ends  bending  down  to  the  ground 
and  taking  root  as  shown,  thus  form  a  natural  layer. 
The  extreme  point  of  the  cane  generally,  after  entering 
the  ground,  turns  up,  forming  a  large  bud,  from  which  the 
cane  for  the  next  season  is  produced. 


KASPBEHUY. 


124  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTUiUST. 

In  figure  49  is  shown  what  may  be  called  a  well-rooted 
plant,  produced  from  the  tip  of  one  of  the  canes.  When 
these  young  plants  are  taken  up,  a  foot  or  more  of  the 
cane  may  be  left  on  them  for  convenience  in  handling,  but 
when  planted  again  this  should  be  cut  off  close  to  the 
roots,  and  but  the  one  bud  (A.)  allowed  to  grow. 

Occasionally  more  than  one  plant  will  be  produced  upon 
a  single  cane,  because  after  the  extreme  end  of  the  main 
cane  has  taken  root,  one  or  more  of  the  buds  immediately 
above  it  will  push  into  growth,  and  being  but  a  few  inches 
off  the  ground  they  soon  reach  it  and  become  rooted,  as 
shown  in  figure  50.  Sometimes  the  roots  will  become  so 
interlaced  that  they  are  separated  with  difficulty,  although 
in  the  engraving  they  are  shown  with  very  few  roots. 

If  a  foot  or  more  of  the  cane  is  covered  with  soil,  late 
in  the  summer,  when  the  wood  has  become  somewhat 
firm,  roots  will  be  emitted  from  every  portion  of  it,  and 
when  taken  up  it  may  be  separated,  and  each  bud  become 
a  plant.  The  plants  obtained  in  this  manner  are  not  gen- 
erally as  good  as  those  produced  from  the  extreme  tip  of 
the  canes.  It  will  very  often  be  necessary  to  go  over  the 
plantation  and  cover  the  tips  of  the"  canes  to  insure  their 
producing  roots.  If  the  plants  are  grown  where  the  wind 
is  constantly  moving  the  canes  about,  their  tips  will  not 
root,  because  they  do  not  remain  long  enough  in  one  place 
to  allow  the  roots  to  penetrate  the  soil.  All  that  is  neces- 
sary is  to  throw  a  small  quantity  of  soil  on  to  the  extreme 
end  of  each  cane.  A  garden  trowel  is  a  good  implement 
for  this  purpose,  putting  on  just  soil  enough  to  keep  the 
end  of  the  cane  steady  in  one  place,  and  no  more. 

The  time  of  performing  this  operation  will  vary  in  dif- 
ferent locations  and  soils.  In  the  latitude  of  New  York 
City,  the  last  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September  is 
the  usual  time  of  covering  or  layering  the  canes.  But 
care  should  be  observed  in  not  covering  too  early,  as  well 
as  deferring  it  until  too  late. 


RASPBERRY, 


125 


The  canes  will  usually  show  indications  of  becoming 
rooted,  such  as  a  slight  enlargement  near  the  end,  a  ces- 


Fig.  50. — END  OP  STEM  FORMING  SEVERAL  PLANTS. 

sation  of  growth,  &c.,  before  it  is  really  necessary  or  safe 
to  cover  them.     If  covered  too  early,  and  before  the  canes 


126  SMALL   FRUI1    CULTURIST. 

have  begun  to  ripen,  they  will  rot,  and  no  plant  win  be 
produced. 

The  roots  will  continue  to  grow  until  the  ground  freezes, 
and  if  the  canes  are  in  a  proper  state  when  covered,  they 
will  generally  become  well  rooted  in  two  or  three  weeks. 

It  is  so  little  trouble  to  cover  the  tips,  and  thereby  in- 
sure their  taking  root,  that  it  is  seldom  advisable  to  neg- 
lect it,  if  the  plants  are  wanted.  All  of  the  tips  will  not 
be  in  the  same  condition  at  one  tune,  so  that  it  will  be 
necessary  to  go  over  the  plants  at  least  twice,  covering  a 
portion  each  time. 

The  same  theory  has  been  advanced  by  some  cultivators 
in  regard  to  the  plants  produced  from  the  ends  of  the 
canes,  as  that  which  I  have  mentioned  in  a  previous  chap- 
ter, relative  to  the  runners  of  the  Strawberry.  And  there 
is  just  as  much  truth  in  one  as  the  other ;  the  only  differ- 
ence, in  fact,  lies  in  the  strength  of  the  plants,  and  should 
the  last  tip  reach  a  lump  of  manure  or  richer  soil  than  the 
first  one,  it  would  become  a  better  rooted  plant  than  the 
first,  and  superior  to  it  in  every  respect. 

There  is  another  theory  in  regard  to  the  production  of 
plants  of  this  class  of  Raspberry  that  has  been  accepted 
by  many,  and  may  be  worthy  of  a  passing  remark. 

The  theory  referred  to  was  promulgated  by  Mr.  Doo- 
little,  the  introducer  of  the  Jocelyn  or  Doolittle  Black 
Raspberry,  and  is  this  :  "  The  first  growth  from  the  young 
plants  only  must  be  used  for  propagation."  To  carry  out 
this  plan,  the  young  plants  may  be  allowed  to  take  root  at 
the  ends  the  first  season,  but  thereafter,  no  plants  must  be 
taken  from  them,  but  new  plants  must  be  put  out  every 
season  for  the  purpose  of  propagation. 

Mr.  Doolittle  claims  that  great  improvement  can  be,  and 
has  been,  made  by  following  this  system  for  several  years 
in  succession,  and  if  it  is  not  followed, the  plants  degener- 
ate. But  facts  do  not  substantiate  the  theory,  because 
we  have  varieties  that  have  been  as  many  years  in  culti- 


RASPBERRY.  127 

vation  as  the  one  sent  out  by  Mr.  Doolittle,  and  although 
never  subjected  to  this  system,  they  have  not  deteriorated. 

And  further,  there  is  not  one  grower  of  the  Black  Rasp 
berry  in  a  hundred  \\ho  attempts  to  follow  Mr.  Doolittle's 
plan,  but  they  propagate  from  the  same  stools  from  year  to 
year,  and  yet  this  variety  appears  to  be  just  as  large,  pro- 
ductive and  good  as  it  was  when  first  disseminated. 

Mr.  Dool  it  tie's  theory  is  contrary  to  the  one  usually  ac- 
cepted in  regard  to  fruit  trees,  for  with  them  we  generally 
.select  wood  for  propagation  from  fully  developed  speci- 
mens, believing  that  by  doing  so  we  are  more  likely  to  in- 
sure productive  and  healthy  plants,  than  by  pursuing  an 
opposite  course. 

Young  plants  may  sometimes  produce  better  ones  than 
old,  because  when  planted  on  fresh  soil,  and  the  stem  be- 
ing entirely  removed,  they  start  early,  making  a  compara- 
tively small  plant  the  first  season — the  ends  of  the  branches 
reach  the  ground  earlier,  and  become  rooted  before  they 
would  from  older  stools.  Just  so  long  as  the  old  plants 
can  be  kept  growing  vigorously,  and  the  young  canes  re- 
main healthy,  they  may  be  used  for  propagation  without 
danger  of  deterioration. 

All  of  the  varieties  of  the  Black  Raspberry  are  more  or 
less  subject  to  producing  what  are  generally  called  sports, 
that  is,  the  plants  vary  from  the  usual  type  very  often 
without  any  apparent  cause.  Sometimes  the  plant  will  as 
sume  a  very  different  character  from  the  normal  one,  becom- 
ing barren,  leaves  smaller,  canes  of  a  different  color,  &c., 
while  in  other  instances  these  sports  will  be  a  decided  im- 
provement upon  the  original,  the  fruit  becoming  larger 
and  produced  in  greater  quantity,  or  two  crops  will  be 
borne  in  a  season  instead  of  one. 

These  changes  may  be  the  result  of  neglect  in  culture, 
diseases,  or  from  extra  care,  which  causes  a  more  rapid 
and  full  development  than  usual. 


128  SMALL   FEUIT   CULTUBIST. 

BY  CUTTINGS. — There  are  but  few  varieties  of  the  Rasp- 
berry that  can  be  successfully  grown  from  ripe  wood  cut- 
tings. Some  of  the  Black  Raspberry  class  will  succeed 
if  the  cuttings  are  made  early  in  the  fall,  and  then  placed 
in  a  propagating  house,  but,  as  a  rule,  there  is  nothing 
gained  in  endeavoring  to  propagate  them  in  this  manner. 
Green  wood  cuttings,  however,  grow  very  readily  by  th(j 
same  process  used  by  propagators  in  multiplying  grapes 
and  other  plants. 

The  cuttings  may  be  taken  from  plants  growing  in  the 
open  air,  but  it  is  better  to  take  them  up  in  the  autumn 
and  pot  them,  and  place  in  a  propagating  house,  an£  then 
take  off  the  young  growth  from  time  to  time  as  it  appears. 

All  the  varieties  and  species  of  the  Raspberry  and 
Blackberry  may  be  successfully  propagated  in  this  manner 
whenever  it  is  desirable;  although  there  being  so  many 
other  methods  of  multiplying  them,  that  it  will  seldom  be 
necessary  to  resort  to  this  one. 

Single  bud  cuttings  may  be  made  of  the  mature  wood 
in  the  fall,  always  selecting  the  medium  sized  branches  and 
those  that  have  not  become  very  hard. 

In  making  these  single  bud  cuttings,  cut  off  the  cane 
about  half  an  inch  above  the  bud,  and  the  same  distance 

below,  and  then  divide  the  cut- 
ting through  the  middle  length- 
mx^iitxf  wise,  preserving  t*he  half  that 

Fig.  51.-SINGLE  BUD  CUTTING.   contains  the  bud   (fig.   51).      Plant 

them  in  boxes  or  pots,  about  an  inch  apart,  covering 
about  half  an  inch  deep ;  then  place  them  where  they 
will  be  in  a  temperature  of  from  75  to  100  degrees. 
This  is  not  quite  so  certain  a  method  as  the  others,  still 
with  some  varieties  very  good  plants  can  be  produced  by 
an  experienced  propagator.  When  propagating  the  Black, 
berry  from  single  bud  cuttings,  the  dividing  of  the  stem 
lengthwise  may  be  omitted,  but  with  the  Raspberry  it  is 
better  than  leaving  them  entire. 


RASPBERRY.  129 

BY  STICKERS. — While,  as  I  have  previously  stated,  there 
are  some  varieties  which  naturally  produce  suckers  in 
abundance,  there  are  also  others  that  do  so  very  sparingly ; 
and  still  these  kinds  do  not  multiply  in  any  other  way  if 
left  entirely  to  themselves.  It  is  also  true  that  those  kinds 
which  produce  few  suckers  are  more  difficult  to  propagate 
from  cuttings  of  the  roots ;  consequently  we  must  find 
some  method  of  forcing  the  roots  to  produce  a  greater 
number  of  suckers  than  they  do  naturally. 

This  may  be  accomplished  in  the  following  manner : 
Late  in  autumn,  or  very  early  in  spring,  dig  up  the  old 
stools  by  .cutting  off  with  a  spade  all  the  roots  within  a 
foot  of  the  base  of  the  stem. 

In  figure  52  is  shown  a  plant  of  the  Philadelphia  Rasp- 
berry, the  simi-circular  white  line  showing  the  point  where 
the  roots  are  severed.  The  Phila- 
delphia, Catawissa,  ?,nd  similar 
kinds,  which  do  not  sucker  freely, 
are  often  treated  in  this  manner. 
If  more  plants  are  wanted  than 
may  be  expected  if  the  roots  are 
left  entire,  then  another  incision 
may  be  made  in  the  same  way 
one  foot  outside  of  the  first,  but 
in  making  it,  no  soil  should  be 
thrown  out,  the  spade  being 
thrust  down  into  the  soil  its  en- 
tire length,  to  separate  the  roots, 
and  then  withdrawn.  After  the 
Fig.  52.— CUTTING  THE  ROOTS.  roots  have  been  divided,  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  should  be  harrowed  over  and  made  level. 
If  a  liberal  supply  of  manure  is  applied  as  a  top  dressing, 
it  will  assist  the  growth  of  the  plants  very  much.  The 
roots  remaining  in  the  ground  will  usually  throw  up 
suckers  in  abundance,  and  make  excellent  plants. 

6* 


130  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUBIST. 

SOIL    AND    LOCATIONS. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  a  general  rule  (exceptions 
included),  I  will  divide  the  Raspberries  into  two  classes, 
without  regard  to  species  : 

CLASS  1. — The  common  Red  and  White  kinds,  taking 
the  Antwerps  as  the  foreign  branch,  and  the  wild  Red  as 
the  native  type.  These  require  a  deep  rich  moist  soil,  and 
one  that  is  rather  compact,  such  as  a  heavy  loam  or  clay. 
These  succeed  very  poorly  in  a  sandy  soil,  unless  it  be  in 
the  extreme  North. 

CLASS  2. — The  Black  Raspberry  (R.  occidentalis)  and 
its  varieties  succeed  in  both  light  and  heavy  soils  (although 
they  prefer  the  former),  and  in  the  most  Northern  as  well 
as  in  the  Southern  States. 

To  this  peculiarity  of  the  varieties  of  the  two  classes, 
we  owe,  in  a  great  measure,  the  diversity  of  opinion  so 
often  expressed  by  fruit  growers  from  the  different  sections 
of  the  country. 

The  Antwerp  class,  as  a  whole,  do  not  succeed  upon 
light  soils  south  of  latitude  forty-one,  and  they  sometimes 
fail  even  to  the  north  of  this.  In  the  sandy  soils  of  New 
Jersey,  and  farther  South,  their  leaves  burn  in  summer, 
which  prevents  the  canes  maturing;  consequently  they 
die  in  winter  whether  covered  or  otherwise. 

This  has  been  one  of  the  great  obstacles  to  Raspberry 
culture,  as  this  class  has  been  the  one  chiefly  recommended, 
for  the  very  good  reason  that  the  fruit  was  of  superior 
quality,  although  the  plants  were  delicate. 

North  of  the  latitude  named,  very  few  of  the  varieties 
cultivated  are  hardy,  and  protection  in  winter  is  required. 
A  few  of  the  native  Red  kinds  will  withstand  the  cold  of 
winter  at  the  North,  but  for  some  cause  they  have  not  as 
yet  become  very  popular.  These  few  kinds,  which  are 
hardy  at  the  North,  often  fail  at  the  South  from  the  cause 
uamed,  and  the  canes  winter-kill  even  in  a  very  mild 


RASPBERRY.  131 

climate.  The  fact  that  one  class  succeeds  better  in  a 
heavy  soil  than  a  light  one  should  not  be  overlooked,  even 
at  the  South,  but  taken  advantage  of  whenever  practicable. 

SELECTION    OF    PLANTS. 

The  canes  of  all  the  varieties  of  Raspberries  are  only 
biennial,  that  is,  canes  are  produced  one  year,  bear  fruit 
the  next,  and  then  die ;  therefore  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  two  or  three  year  old  plants,  as  with  trees  and  vines, 
when  we  refer  to  the  stems,  but  the  roots  may  be  several 
years  old,  as  they  are  perennial.  One  year  old  plants  are 
the  best  for  transplanting  in  all  cases.  Suckers  are  con- 
sidered the  best  plants  with  those  kinds  which  produce 
them,  but  plants  grown  from  root  cuttings,  if  the  opera- 
tion is  properly  performed,  are  equally  as  good,  and  some- 
times they  are  really  superior,  because  furnished  with  a 
larger  number  of  fibrous  roots.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
those  grown  from  cuttings  of  the  stems;  they  may  be  of 
first  rate  quality  or  otherwise. 

The  old  stools  may  also  be  taken  up  and  divided  and 
planted  again,  but  such  plants  are  not  to  be  recommended, 
and  should  never  be  used  if  it  can  be  avoided.  With 
those  kinds  which  produce  plants  from  the  tips  of  the 
canes,  it  is  more  important  to  select  none  older  than  one 
season,  because  the  old  plants  produce  new  fibers  very 
slowly  at  the  best,  and  when  transplanted  they  are  very 
likely  to  fail,  even  with  the  best  of  care. 

PLANTING    AND    CULTURE. 

Thorough  preparation  of  the  soil  before  planting  is  jus 
as  important  with  the  Raspberry  as  with  other  fruits. 

Planting  in  rows  and  then  restricting  the  plants  to  hills 
or  stools,  as  it  is  termed,  is  the  usual  method. 

The  rows  should  be  four  to  six  feet  apart,  according  to 
the  variety  cultivated.  With  the  Antwerp,  and  similar 
varieties,  four  feet  each  way  is  the  usual  distance,  but  with 


132  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTUKIST. 

the  stronger  growing  kinds  the  rows  should  DC  at  least 
six  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  four  or  five  feet  apart  in  the 
rows. 

In  planting  the  smaller  growing  kinds,  two  plants  may 
be  set  in  a  hill,  placing  them  about  six  inches  apart ;  for 
in  this  way  we  double  the  chances  of  securing  a  uniform 
plantation,  because  one  may  die  and  the  other  live;  and 
if  both  should  gro\v,  a  large  stool  will  be  secured  in  less 
time  than  if  the  plants  were  placed  singly.  The  first  cost 
of  the  plant  is  not  usually  of  so  much  importance  as  the 
loss  of  a  crop,  or  of  a  year  in  time,  which  would  be  the 
result  wherever  the  plants  should  die  and  have  to  be  re- 
placed. Spring  is  the  usual  time  in  the  Northern  States 
for  planting  the  Raspberry,  and  the  fall  for  sections  where 
the  ground  does  not  freeze  very  deeply. 

Select  plants  that  have  plenty  of  small  fibrous  roots, 
and  set  them  no  deeper  than  they  were  before  removal. 
The  upper  tier  of  roots  is  usually  about  four  inches  below 
the  surface,  but  in  some  instances  they  will  be  at  a  far 
greater  depth.  It  is  not  advisable,  however,  to  plant 
deeply,  because  the  suckers  which  spring  from  the  stem 
below  ground,  or  from  the  lateral  roots,  will  not  come  up 
go  freely  when  the  plants  are  set  deep  as  when  shallow. 
At  the  time  of  planting,  cut  the  canes  down  close  to  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  because  if  they  are  left  entire,  it  will 
require  nearly,  if  not  quite,  all  the  strength  of  the  root  to 
force  the  buds  on  them  into  growth.  These  will  produce 
a  few  weak  shoots,  and  perhaps  some  fruit,  and  then  the 
canes  will  die  down  to  the  root  and  no  farther. 

The  entire  forces  of  the  plant  are  required  the  first  sea- 
son to  produce  canes,  if  anything  like  a  crop  of  fruit  is 
expected  the  next. 

In  some  sections  of  the  country  the  soil  is  naturally 
very  poor,  and  it  may  nlso  be  very  difficult  to  obtain  suf- 
ficient manure  to  enrich  the  whole  of  it  before  planting. 
Under  such  circumstances,  the  plants  may  be  manured  in 


RASPBERRY.  133 

the  hill  by  mixing  a  shovel  full  or  more  with  the  soil  at 
the  point  marked  for  the  plants  before  setting  them. 

Afterwards  manure  may  be  applied  to  the  surface  of  the 
soil,  and  worked  in  with  plow  or  cultivator.  If  barn-yard 
manure,  or  a  compost  of  it,  and  other  materials  cannot  be 
obtained,  then  bone,  poudrette,  or  some  other  kind  may 
be  applied. 

A  plow  or  cultivator  may  be  used  among  the  plants  for 
keeping  the  weeds  down  in  summer,  but  keep  the  soil  as 
nearly  level  as  possible  ;  never  bank  up  the  plants  and  let 
them  remain  in  this  situation  for  any  considerable  time. 
A  small  plow  may  be  used  to  break  up  the  soil  between 
the  rows  whenever  it  is  necessary,  but  the  cultivator 
should  be  passed  over  it  soon  after,  to  level  it  down  again. 

If  the  variety  cultivated  is  one  that  increases  by  suckers, 
allow  but  one  or  two  from  each  root  to  grow  the  first  sea- 
son, and  not  more  than  six  to  eight  from  one  stool  in  any 
one  year  thereafter,  unless  the  production  of  plants  is  more 
important  than  that  of  fruit. 

The  fruiting  canes  will  not  always  remain  in  one  place, 
as  the  suckers  will  come  up  more  freely  upon  one  side 
than  upon  another,  and  the  uniform  distances  between  the 
stools  will  soon  be  lost,  and  some  will  be  six  feet  apart 
while  others  not  more  than  two.  A  little  care  given  at 
the  time  the  suckers  are  making  their  appearance  in  early 
summer,  by  cutting  out  where  they  are  likely  to  be 
crowded,  and  preserving  all  where  they  are  thin,  will  ena- 
ble the  grower  to  preserve  the  required  number  of  bear- 
ing canes  in  each  row. 

It  will  often  be  necessary  to  use  the  hoe  among  the 
plants,  because  the  plow  or  cultivator  cannot  be  used  to 
advantage,  except  in  passing  lengthwise  of  the  rows, 
except  for  the  first  year  or  two,  and  not  then  unless  great 
care  was  observed  in  planting,  so  that  the  rows  are  placed 
in  direct  lines  each  way. 

Clean  cultivation  is  important,  because  if  the  plants  be- 


134  SMALL   FRTJ1T   CULTURIST. 

come  choked  with  grass  and  weeds,  it  will  check  their 
growth,  and  not  only  the  fruiting  canes  will  suffer  for 
moisture,  but  those  intended  for  the  next  season's  crop. 

With  varieties  which  produce  no  suckers  from  lateral 
roots,  but  only  from  the  crowns  of  the  main  root,  greater 
uniformity  can  be  preserved  in  their  cultivation.  The 
only  precaution  necessary  is  to  see  that  too  many  canes 
do  not  grow  ;  three  or  four  are  sufficient,  all  others  should 
be  cut  off  when  they  first  appear. 

PRUNING. 

Very  little  pruning  is  necessary  with  the  Raspberry,  and 
in  general  field  culture  none  is  given,  except  to  go  over  the 
plantation  after  fruiting  and  cut  out  close  to  the  ground 
all  of  the  old  canes.  Some  defer  this  operation  until  whi- 
ter or  the  following  spring,  but  it  is  better  to  do  it  soon 
after  the  fruit  is  gathered,  so  that  the  young  canes  shall 
not  be  crowded  by  the  old  ones.  Because  no  other  pru- 
ning is  generally  practiced,  it  is  no  sufficient  reason  why  it  is 
not  necessary,  or  that  it  would  not  be  beneficial.  The  bear- 
ing canes  should  be  pruned  in  the  spring  by  heading  back 
the  leading  shoots,  and  shortening  the  lateral  ones.  This 
operation  is  particularly  beneficial  to  the  Black  Raspberry, 
Purple  Cane,  and  others  of  this  class,  inasmuch  as  they 
produce  such  long  slender  canes  that  they  would  be 
broken  or  bent  to  the  ground  by  the  weight  of  fruit  un- 
less severely  pruned. 

The  principal  canes,  as  well  as  the  lateral  ones,  should  be 
shortened  to  about  one-third  their  original  length.  When 
pruned  in  this  manner  the  fruit  will  be  much  larger,  and 
the  plant  will  yield  as  many  quarts  as  though  the  canes 
were  left  their  full  length.  Besides,  the  plants  will  very 
often  set  more  fruit  when  left  unpruned  than  they  can 
mature,  and  all  is  lost. 

There  are  a  few  varieties  in  cultivation  which  produce 
two  crops  in  a  season  ;  that  is,  the  year  old  canes  throw 


RASPBERRY.  135 

out  l.-iteral  fruiting  branches  the  same  as  other  kinds,  and 
the  new  canes  of  the  season  bear  fruit  on  their  terminal 
point  or  branches  in  autumn.  This  second  crop,  or  what 
is  really  the  first  crop  of  the  cane,  is  usually  not  a  very 
abundant  one,  although  highly  prized  by  some  persons, 
because  produced  at  other  than  the  usual  season  for  such 
fruit.  If  it  is  desirable  to  increase  the  late  crop,  then  the 
entire  plants  should  be  cut  down  at  the  time  of  the  annual 
priming.  This  will  cause  the  young  canes  to  start  early, 
and  having  the  whole  root  for  their  support,  they  will 
come  into  bearing  earlier  in  the  fall,  and  bear  more  abun- 
dantly than  if  two  crops  were  produced. 

TRAINING. 

In  general  field  culture  the  usual  mode  is  to  train  to 
stakes,  but  many  cultivators  are  now  dispensing  with 
these  artificial  aids,  and  by  close  pruning  they  endeavor 
to  make  the  canes  sustain  their  fruit  without  assistance. 

I  think,  however,  that  it  is  questionable  at  least  whether 
there  is  really  anything  saved  by  not  using  stakes,  because 
many  of  the  canes  will  be  blown  down  by  the  wind,  others 
will  be  broken  by  the  weight  of  fruit,  while  the  lateral 
branches  will  fall  upon  the  ground,  and  the  fruit  become 
splashed  with  soil,  thus  making  it  unfit  for  use.  The  cost 
of  stakes  is  but  a  trifle  in  comparison  to  the  value  of  the 
fruit  lost  when  they  are  not  used,  especially  when  it  com- 
mands so  large  a  price  as  it  does  in  most  of  our  eastern 
markets. 

Chestnut  stakes  five  feet  long  and  two  to  three  inches  in 
diameter,  made  from  large  trees,  cost  me  less  than  two 
cents  each,  and  my  location  is  within  twenty  miles  of  New 
York  City,  and  where  timber  of  all  kinds  commands  a 
large  price.  I  cannot  afford  to  grow  Raspberries  without 
staking,  because  every  stake  will  save  on  an  average  ten 
cents  worth  of  fruit,  and  in  many  instances  three  times 
that  amount. 


136  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

In  the  great  Raspberry  plantations  of  New  York,  stakes 
are  used,  and  every  fruiting  cane  is  tied  up,  early  in  spring. 
The  stakes  used  are  four  or  five  feet  long,  one  being  driven 
near  each  stool,  and  the  canes  tied  loosely  to  it.  After  the 
crop  has  been  gathered,  the  stakes  are  all  taken  up  and 
put  aw.-iy  under  cover  until  wanted  the  next  season.  The 
old  canes  are  all  removed  in  the  fall,  and  all  suckers  not 
Avanted  for  fruiting  are  taken  up,  preparatory  to  giving 
winter  protection  to  those  that  remain. 

WINTER   PROTECTION. 

Until  within  a  very  few  years,  the  varieties  principally 
cultivated  for  market  were  those  of  foreign  origin.  Oc- 
casionally one  would  be  introduced  that  was  quite  hardy 


Fig.  53.— LAYING  DOWN  THE  CANES. 

even  in  the  Northern  States,  but  as  a  whole  they  required 
protection  to  insure  a  full  crop.  Many  different  methods 
for  protecting  the  plants  in  winter  have  been  suggested 
and  tried,  but  there  is  probably  none  so  simple  or  cheap 
as  that  of  laying  down  the  plants  a:id  covering  with  soil. 
To  perform  this  operation  rapidly,it  requires  two  men,  one 
to  bend  down  the  plants  while  the  other  throws  a  shovel 
full  of  soil  upon  them,  or  just  enough  to  keep  them  in 
place.  The  canes  should  be  bent  down  lengthwise  of  the 
row,  as  shown  in  figure  53.  When  the  plants  have  all 
been  laid  down,  a  plow  is  passed  along  on  each  side  of  the 
row,  turning  the  soil  upon  them.  In  this  manner  an  acre 


RASPBERRY.  137 

may  be  covered  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  fifteen  dollars. 
The  plants  should  not  be  covered  until  the  approach  of 
cold  weather,  usually  deferring  the  operation  as  long  as  it 
can  be  with  safety.  If  the  canes  are  covered  while  the 
weather  is  warm,  or  before  they  are  fully  ripe,  they  will 
decay. 

In  the  spring,  after  all  danger  of  severe  freezing  is  past, 
take  up  the  canes  by  passing  a  fork  under  them,  gently 
lifting  and  shaking  oft'  the  soil.  Drive  doAvn  the  stakes 
and  tie  the  canes  to  them  as  before.  Cut  off  all  dead  and 
broken  canes,  and  shorten  all  others.  When  the  canes  are 
very  tall,  a  foot  or  more  may  be  pruned  off  with  benefit  to 
that  which  remains.  All  side  or  lateral  branches  should 
be  shortened  at  least  one-half,  and  sometimes  if  two-thirds 
of  their  length  were  cut  away,  it  would  be  still  better. 

GARDEN  CULTURE. 

The  same  general  systems  adapted  to  field  culture  are 
also  applicable  to  the  garden,  but  usually  more  care  will  be 
bestowed  upon  a  few  plants  than  upon  a  larger  number. 
When  only  a  few  are  grown,  they  may  be  watered,  or  the 
ground  covered  with  a  mulch,  either  of  which  operations 
will  assist  very  much  in  the  full  development  of  the  fruit. 

The  plants  may  also  be  allowed  to  bear  the  first  season, 
if  fruit  is  very  desirable,  for  by  giving  extra  care,  new 
canes  for  the  next  year  may  be  produced  from  the  same 
root,  besides  supporting  the  fruiting  cane.  It  is,  however, 
the  safest  plan  to  set  three  or  four  plants  in  a  hill,  and  cut 
one  or  two  of  them  down  to  the  ground,  and  leave  the 
others  with  canes  about  two  feet  long.  Sometimes  quite 
a  large  crop  will  be  produced  on  plants  set  in  spring,  and 
though  it  usually  prevents  the  root  throwing  up  suckers 
strong  enough  to  bear  the  ensuing  year,  still,  with  plants 
that  cost  but  a  few  cents  each,  there  is  nothing  lost  even 
if  they  die  outright  after  fruiting.  With  those  who  are 
just  commencing  a  garden,  it  is  sometimes  quite  an  object  to 


138 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


have  fruit  the  first  season,  even  if  there  is  no  profit  in  the  op- 
eration. A  different  system  of  training  may  also  be  adopted, 
and  instead  of  stakes,  a  simple  and  cheap  trellis  may  be  made 
by  setting  strong  stakes  about  twenty  feet  apart  along  the 
rows,  and  then  stretch  a  wire  from  one  to  the  other,  and 


Fhj.  54.— RASPBERRY   TRELLIS. 

to  this  tie  the  fruiting  canes,  as  shown  in  figure  54.  If 
the  variety  cultivated  is  tender,  then  bend  down  and  cover 
the  canes  with  soil  in  winter,  using  a  spade  or  shovel  in- 
stead of  the  plow. 


Fig.  55. — TRAINING   TO   STAKES. 

Another  method  is  shown  in  figure  55.  In  this  the 
stakes  are  driven  on  opposite  sides  of  the  stools  and  about 
two  feet  distant,  the  bearing  canes  are  lent  over  and  tied 
in  the  manner  shown.  The  young  shoots  of  the  season 
will  not  always  grow  up  in  the  center  as  represented  in  the 
engraving,  but  that  is  the  place  where  it  would  be  desira- 
ble to  have  them  grow  to  enable  us  to  carry  out  this 


RASPBERRY. 


139 


somewhat  ideal  system.  The  bearing  canes  are  cut  away 
after  the  fruit  is  gathered,  and  the  next  spring  the  four 
young  canes  shown  in  an  upright  position,  are  bent  down 
in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  the  previous  year. 

Training  within  a  hoop  is  a  very  pretty  plan  for  small 
gardens.  This  is  done  by  driving  two  stakes,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  stool,  and  about  a  foot 
from  it ;  then  take  a  common  barrel 
hoop  and  nail  it  to  the  stakes,  as  in 
figure  56.  The  canes  are  trained  up 
within  the  hoop  and  tied  to  it  at 
regular  distances  apart,  thereby  sup- 
porting the  canes  and  preventing 
theni  from  being  blown  about  by 
the  winds  and  injuring  the  fruit. 

There  are  many  other  very  neat 
and  convenient  systems  of  training     Fig<  56.— HOOP  TRAIN- 
the  Raspberry  in  use  among  amateur  ING- 

cultivators,  but  those  already  named  will  give  the  reader  a 
very  good  idea  of  their  general  scope,  besides  suggesting 
other  modes,  such  as  training  upon  walls,  fences,  along 
the  sides  of  walks  or  as  a  kind  of  a  hedge,  also  planting  and 
training  in  a  half  shady  situation,  with  a  northern  exposure 
for  a  late  crop,  and  in  one  of  an  opposite  character  for  an 
early  one. 

So  various  are  the  changes  that  can  be  made  in  every 
department  of  fruit-cultur'e,  that  to  give  them  all  in  detail 
would  require  one  or  more  large  volumes  for  each  species 
in  cultivation. 

DURATION    OF  PLANTS. 

The  duration  of  a  Raspberry  plantation  will  depend 
very  much  upon  the  variety  cultivated,  as  well  as  upon  the 
nature  of  the  soil  and  care  given  the  plants.  Ten  to  four- 
teen years  is  about  the  average  under  good  culture,  but 
sometimes  they  will  remain  productive  for  twenty  years. 


140  SMAXL   FRUIT   CTTLTURIST. 

No  rule  or  set  time  should  be  heeded  in  this  matter,  but 
so  soon  as  the  plants  fail  to  produce  remunerative  crops, 
plow  them  up  and  plant  some  other  crop  upon  the  soil,  for 
two  or  three  years,  after  which  it  may  again  be  planted 
with  Raspberries  if  it  is  desirable. 

DISEASES  AND  INSECTS. 

The  Raspberry  is  seldom  affected,  to  any  considerable 
extent,  by  disease.  Occasionally  the  leaves  and  stems  will 
be  affected  with  rust,  in  wet  seasons,  when  cultivated  upon 
soils  of  a  compact  nature.  The  Raspberry  plantations  in 
Orange,  Ulster,  and  adjacent  counties  in  New  York,  have 
been  for  several  years  past  affected  more  or  less  with  a 
kind  of  rust,  which  seems  to  prevent  the  canes  from  ripen- 
ing, and  the  result  is,  that  they  decay  in  winter,  although 
carefully  protected.  The  nature  or  cause  of  this  rust  or 
disease  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain,  but  it  is  very 
probable  that  thorough  under-draining  and  replanting  upon 
fresh  soil  would  check,  if  not  entirely  eradicate  it.  The 
Red  Antwerp  Raspberry  has  been  extensively  grown  in 
these  counties  for  the  past  thirty  or  forty  years,  and  it 
would  indeed  be  very  strange  if  disease  or  insects  did  not 
make  their  appearance  after  so  long  a  time,  and  particularly 
where  one  variety  is  grown  so  extensively  as  in  the  region 
named.  It  is  quite  probable  that  a  few  unfavorable  seasons, 
or  the  want  of  proper  cultivation  has  been  the  cause  of  this? 
disease,  and  that  it  will  not  become  known  away  from  the 
locality  where  it  originated. 

Leaf  blight  or  rust  is  very  common  upon  the  wild  Rasp- 
berry and  Blackberry,  and  sometimes  upon  the  cultivated, 
particularly  upon  old  and  feeble  plants.  The  general  ap- 
pearance of  this  rust,  or  Raspberry  brand,  as  it  is  called 
in  England,  is  like  that  desciibed  under  the  Strawberry, 
p.  83,  but  it  shows  a  different  form  under  the  micro 
scope. 


KASPBEKRY.  141 

The  number  of  insects  that  infest  the  Raspberry  and 
Blackberry  is  very  few  indeed,  and  none  have  as  yet  be- 
come very  common  or  destructive. 

The  Blackberry  bush  borer,  fig.  57,  is  occasionally  found 

eating  out  the  pith  of  the  young  canes  of  the  Raspberry 

-sw  s*    and  Blackberry,  but  it  is  not  common.     The 

YV//        beetle,  which  is  the  parent  of  the  borer,  is 

pM^        about  a  half  inch  long,  black,  rusty  yellow 

/•A       on  the  breast,  and  on  the  top  of  the  thorax. 

/9f  V        -^  lavs  ^8  e»?s  early  m  August  on  the  stems 

Fig  57  -BLACK-  °f  t^ie  Blackberry  and  Raspberry,  generally 

BERRY  BUSH    at  the  base  of  a  leaf.     The  grub  penetrates 

BORER.        ^e   stem,  eating  out   the  pith,  causing  the 

young  canes  to  wither.     A  few  of  my  Blackberry  bushes 

were  attacked  by  this  insect  the  past  season. 

The  infested  canes  should  be  pruned  off  in  the  fall  and 
buried.  In  Europe  there  is  a  beetle  (Byturustomentosvs), 
which  deposits  its  eggs  in  the  flower  of  the  Raspberry,  which 
produce  small  white  maggots  by  the  time  the  fruit  is  ripe. 
A  similar  worm  is  quite  common  upon  our  Wild  Red 
Raspberry,  but  whether  it  is  the  same  as  the  European 
species,  or  one  of  the  Ortalidians,  (some  of  which  are  known 
to  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  Raspberry),  I  am  unable  to  say, 
as  they  are  seldom  seen  upon  the  cultivated  varieties. 

DESCRIPTION    OF  VARIETIES. 

CLASS  I. — NATIVE  SPECIES   AKD  VARIETIES. 
(Rubus  occidentalism) 

American  Black,  (Black  Raspberries -,  Black  Cap 
Raspberry,  Thimble  Berry]. — Fruit  medium,  slightly 
oval,  black  with  bloom,  sweet  pleasant  flavor  ;  there  is  but 
little  juice,  a  greater  portion  of  the  berry  being  seeds. 
The  plant  roots  from  the  ends  of  the  young  canes.  In  its 
wild  state  one  of  the  most  variable  species  known.  Com- 
mon in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 


142  SMALL   FKUIT   CtJLTUBIST. 

American  White  Cap.  (  Yellow  Gap,  Golden  Cap.)— 
Fruit,  one-half  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  broad  ;  slightly 
oval  ;  grains  larger  than  in  the  preceding  variety  ;  pale  or 
deep  yellow,  covered  with  a  white  bloom  ;  sweet,  juicy, 
rather  musky,  but  agreeable  ;  canes  light  yellow,  slightly 
glaucous,  very  strong,  stocky,  with  a  few  short  spines  ;  only 
moderately  productive.  This  variety  is  also  found  wild  from 
Maine  to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  probably  farther  west. 
I  have  received  it  from  nearly  all  the  Northern  States,  and 
from  the  southern  portion  of  the  State  of  Delaware.  It  is 
seldom  found  in  any  great  number,  and  this  is  probably 
one  reason  why  so  many  people  have  supposed  they  had 
discovered  something  new,  when  they  have  accidentally 
found  one  of  these  plants  growing  wild.  Nearly  every 
season  I  receive  letters  from  different  parts  of  the  country, 
describing  a  new  and  remarkable  wild  variety  of  white 
Raspberry,  but  when  the  plants  are  received  they  have  in- 
variably proved  to  be  this  variety.  The  White  Cap 
Raspberry  possesses  some  good  qualities,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  but  what  seedlings  from  it  might  be  produced  that 
would  be  really  valuable  and  worthy  of  general  cultivation. 
The  habit  of  the  plant  is  as  good  as  could  be  desired,  pro- 
ducing no  suckers,  but  propagating  from  the  tips  of  the 
young  canes. 


American  Improved.  (DoolitiMs  Black  Gap, 
Improved,  Improved  Slack  Cap  Raspberry).  —  Large, 
black,  with  slight  bloom,  sweet,  juicy,  of  the  same  flavo* 
as  the  Wild  Black  Raspberry,  canes  very  vigorous,  with 
numerous,  strong-hooked  prickles.  The  extremely  thorny 
character  of  the  plant  is  its  greatest  fault,  as  it  is  equally 
as  disagreeable  a  subject  to  work  among  as  the  Blackberry. 
Very  productive  and  hardy.  Found  growing  wild,  about 
twenty-five  years  ago,  by  Leander  Jo  sly  n,  of  Phelps,  On- 
tario County,  N".  Y.  Of  late  years  this  variety  has  been 
extensively  cultivated  for  market. 


RASPBERRY.  143 

Doolittle's  Red-flavored    Black  Raspberry.— This  is 

a  new  variety,  just  announced  by  Mr.  H.  H.  Doolittle,  of 
Oaks  Comers,  N.  Y.  Described  as  a  large,  dark  red  or 
brown  colored  berry,  with  a  decided  Red  Raspberry 
flavor.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  if  this  variety  should  prove 
to  be  worthy  of  cultivation,  a  different  name  will  be  given  it. 

Davison'S  Thornless.  (Thornless  Blackcap^ — About 
the  same  size  and  shape  as  the  American  Improved,  but  a 
week  or  ten  days  earlier.  Canes  strong  and  quite  stocky, 
smooth,  except  a  very  few  small  straight  spines  near  the 
base  and  an  occasional  one  on  the  leaf-stalk.  The  thornless 
character  of  the  plant  is  certainly  a  decided  improvement 
upon  those  which  produce  them  in  such  abundance  as  some 
others  do.  Originated  in  the  garden  of  Mrs.  Mercy  Davi- 
son,  in  the  Village  of  Gowanda,  N.  Y. ;  introduced  to  the 
public  in  1866,  by  Joseph  Sinton,  Angola,  Erie  County, 
N.  Y. 

Elsie. — A  new  seedling,  raised  from  the  Surprise,  by 
Samuel  Miller,  of  Avon,  Lebanon  County,  Pa.  I  have  not 
yet  fruited  this  variety,  but  Mr.  Miller  describes  it  as  very 
large,  of  excellent  quality,  and  productive. 

Miami  Black  Cap. — Very  large,  dark  brown,  almost 
black ;  sweet,  juicy  and  good.  A  little  later  than  the  Am- 
erican Improved,  and  the  spines  not  so  numerous.  Hardy, 
productive  and  valuable.  From  the  Miami  Valley,  Ohio. 

Ohio  Everbearing.  (Monthly  Black  Gap.) — Large, 
black,  sweet,  and  moderately  juicy;  canes  strong  and 
rather  more  upright  than  some  others;  spines  strong,  hooked 
and  numerous,  very  productive.  The  young  canes  produce 
a  moderate  crop  in  autumn.  Cultivated  among  the  Qua- 
kers in  Ohio,  and  introduced  to  public  notice  many  years 
ago,  by  N".  Long  worth,  of  Cincinnati. 

Seneca  Black  Cap. — This  is  another  new  variety,  an- 
nounced by  Mr.  Doolittle  ;  said  to  be  a  larger  berry  than 
the  American  Improved,  more  firm,  and  equal  to  it  in  pro- 
ductiveness, but  eight  to  ten  days  later. 


144  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

Summit  YellOW  Cap, — Medium  size,  pale  pink  or  nearly 
white  in  the  shade,  rather  dry,  but  very  sweet ;  ripens  a 
Little  later  than  the  Common  Black  Cap  ;  cranes  strong  and 
vigorous,  pale  orange  yellow,  with  considerable  bloom ; 
spines  short,  slightly  hooked  and  rather  numerous.  A  new 
variety  from  Summit  Township,  Crawford  County,  Pa.  It 
is  supposed  to  have  originated  from*  seed  in  soil  excavated 
from  a  canal,  at  the  depth  of  ten  feet.  The  original  plant 
was  found  and  transplanted  by  Mr.  Daniel  Supher.  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  O.  T.  Hobbs,  of  Randolph,  Pa.,  for  plants 
of  this  variety  and  its  history. 

Surprise. — Very  similar  to  the  American  Improved,  but 
the  berries  are  larger,  more  conical,  and  covered  with  a 
thick  bloom ;  sweet,  sprightly  and  good ;  a  valuable  vari- 
ety. Found  growing  wild  in  Missouri.  I  am  indebted  to 
Mr.  Samuel  Miller  for  plants  of  this  very  excellent  fruit. 

Woodside, — Very  large,  globular,  bluck,  with  little 
bloom ;  sweet,  juicy  and  good.  Produces  a  second  crop 
in  autumn.  Figure  58  is  an  exact  representation  of  a 
cluster  cut  from  a  plant  in  November  last.  Canes  light 
crimson  or  dark  scarlet ;  spines  few  and  very  scattering. 
Not  fully  tested  as  to  productiveness.,  Originated  in  the 
garden  of  one  of  my  neighbors,  from  seeds  sown  by  the 
former  owner  of  the  place. 

CLASS  II. — PURPLE  CANE  FAMILY. 

A  portion  at  least  of  the  following  kinds  are  supposed  to 
belong  to  the  same  species  as  the  common  Black  Cap 
Raspberry  (fi.  occidentalis).  But  as  they  have  a  few 
characteristics  in  common,  which  are  not  found  in  the  wild 
black  Raspberry,  nor  in  any  other  species,  I  have  placed 
them  in  a  list  by  themselves. 

This  separation  is  not  claimed  to  be  a  strictly  scientific 
one,  but  as  a  matter  of  convenience. 


KASl'BERRY. 


145 


Fig.  58.— WOODSIDE   RASPBERRY. 


146  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTUBIST. 

The  old  Purple  Cane  Raspberry  is  so  well  known  that 
I  have  selected  it  as  the  type  or  representative  of  this 
class. 

The  principal  difference  between  the  varieties  of  the 
Black  Cap  and  the  Purple  Cane  is  in  the  fruit.  The  first, 
as  is  well  known,  have  rather  dry,  tough  fruit,  with  a  pe- 
culiar flavor.  Its  grains  numerous,  and  very  irregular  in 
size.  The  fruit  of  the  Purple  Cane,  as  a  rule,  is  rather  soft, 
juicy,  often  very  brittle,  the  grains  separating  very  readily. 
Color,  varying  from  light  red  to  dark  brownish-purple, 
but  never  black ;  the  flavor  mild  and  agreeable,  but  en- 
tirely distinct  from  those  of  the  true  Black  Raspberry. 

Catawissa, — Medium,  round,  dark  reddish-purple,  rather 
brittle  and  soft,  juicy,  moderately  good,  canes  strong,  very 
branching,  dark  brown  bark,  and  few  hooked  spines.  Pro- 
duces a  second  crop  in  autumn.  If  the  whole  stool  is  cut 
down  in  spring,  the  young  canes  of  the  season  will  come 
into  fruit  early,  and  continue  bearing  until  winter.  The 
fruit  is  borne  principally  on  the  ends  of  the  shoots  of  those 
which  do  not  bend  down  and  take  root.  Suckers  are  also 
produced  very  sparingly,  but  if  the  stools  are  taken  up,  and 
the  roots  left  in  the  ground,  a  greater  number  will  grow 
than  otherwise.  The  plant  is  quite  tender  in  the  Northern 
States,  and  even  in  the  locality  where  it  was  discovered,  it 
is  sometimes  winter-killed.  I  have  cultivated  this  variety 
about  ten  years,  and  have  never  as  yet  had  a  plant  survive 
the  winter  unless  protected.  It  is  of  no  particular  value 
unless  for  the  purpose  of  producing  a  late  crop,  and  to  in- 
sure this  the  entire  plant  must  be  cut  down  early  in  spring. 
This  variety  was  found  in  a  grave  yard,  in  the  Village  of 
Catawissa,  Columbia  County,  Pa. 

Ellisdale.  —  Large,  roundish-oval,  grains  medium  to 
large,  quite  regular  in  size;  color,  light  crimson  or  dark 
scarlet ;  rather  firm  and  of  good  flavor ;  canes  very  strong, 
light  red,  smooth,  with  a  few  straight  spines  near  the  base, 
and  an  occasional  hooked  one  on  the  upper  portion.  The 


RASPBERRY.  147 

plant  produces  no  suckers  from  its  lateral  roots,  but  propa- 
gates from  the  tips  of  the  canes,  the  same  as  the  Purple 
Cane.  New,  not  thoroughly  tested  at  the  East,  but  con- 
sidered as  a  very  valuable  variety  in  the  locality  where  it 
originated.  Found  in  1856,  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Johnson,  growing 
on  the  Ellisdale  farm,  in  Pottawatomie  County,  Iowa.  The 
stock  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  H.  A.  Terry,  of  Cres- 
cent City,  Iowa,  for  propagation  and  dissemination. 

Gardiner. — A  new  variety,  said  to  be  intermediate  be- 
tween the  Purple  Cane  and  Black  Cap.  Received  from  S. 
Miller.  Origin  at  present  unknown. 

Purple  Cane.  (American  Red  Cane.) — Medium,  or 
small,  roundish,  dark  dull  red,  with  bloom ;  grains  large, 
soft,  sweet,  very  good ;  canes  very  strong ;  growing  eight 
to  twelve  feet  long,  smooth,  with  a  few  straight  spines  at  the 
base,  and  a  few  hooked  spines  above ;  vigorous  and  pro- 
ductive, fruit  good  for  home  use,  but  too  soft  for  market. 
This  variety  has  been  in  cultivation  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  for  at  least  fifty  years.  Propagates  from  the  tips  of 
the  young  canes,  and  produces  no  suckers. 

Philadelphia. — Medium  to  large,  globular,  dark  red, 
scarcely  any  bloom,  moderately  firm,  sub-acid,  not  rich, 
nor  very  juicy;  grains  large,  adhere  together  more  firmly 
than  the  Purple  Cane ;  canes  erect,  strong  and  stocky,  dark 
red  or  purple,  branching  ;  spines  very  small,  straight  and 
scattering,  almost  spineless ;  leaves  large,  dark  green  above, 
lighter  beneath,  very  thick  and  tough,  have  a  peculiar  wavy 
appearance  on  the  upper  side,  finely  serrated.  Figure  59 
shows  the  general  form  of  the  leaf,  and  figure  60,  a  cluster 
of  fruit  of  the  average  size  under  common  field  culture. 
The  canes  do  not  bend  over  and  root  from  the  tips,  like  the 
Purple  Cane,  but  produce  suckers,  although  rather  sparing- 
ly; very  hardy  and  wonderfully  productive.  Found 
growing  within  the  present  limits  of  the  City  of  Philadel- 
ohia,  some  thirty  or  more  years  ago.  It  has  lately  become 


148 


SMALL    FRUIT    CULTUKIST. 


Fig.  59. — LEAF   OF   PHILADELPHIA  RASPBERRY. 


RASPBERRY. 


149 


very  popular  as  a  market  variety,  and  for  some  soils  and 
locations  is  unexcelled.  This  is  particularly  the  case  in 
the  sandy  soils  of  New  Jersey,  where  all  of  the  finest 
foreign  varieties  fail,  and  no  amount  of  care  will  enable 
the  growers  to  secure  a  remunerative  crop.  It  has  been 


Fig'.   00. — PHILADELPHIA. 

widely  disseminated  in  the  past  five  years,  and  very 
favorable  reports  are  being  received  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  in  regard  to  its  hardiness  and  productiveness. 

CLASS  3. — VARIETIES  OF  RUBUS   STRIGOSUS. 
( Wild  Red  Raspberry.} 

The  common  Wild  Red  Raspberry  of  our  country 
possesses  many  valuable  qualities,  even  in  its  normal  state. 
But  to  produce  new  and  improved  varieties  from  it  has 


150  SMALL    FRUIT   CTJLTURIST. 

seldom  been  attempted,  because  foreign  kinds  were  at 
hand  that  apparently  possessed  qualities  superior  to  our 
own  ;  consequently  we  have  very  few  native  kinds  worthy 
of  cultivation.  This  is  certainly  to  be  regretted ;  inas- 
much as  the  foreign  va- 
rieties are  usually  ten- 
der, while  our  native 
kinds  are  quite  hardy, 
and  there  can  scarcely 
be  a  doubt  that  if  the 
same  persistent  efforts 
had  been  put  forth  to 
improve  them,  as  have 
been  expended  upon  the 
foreign  sorts,  we  would 
now  have  varieties  of 
the  native  species  far 
superior  to  any  that  we 
have  obtained  from 
abroad. 

The  variableness  of 
the  JRubus  strigosus  is 
worthy  of  being  particu- 
larly noticed  by  those 
who  may  attempt  its  im- 
Fig.  61.— STEM  OF  WILD  RED.  provemcut.  Some  of  the 
wild  varieties  produce  an  immense  number  of  suckers, 
others  but  very  few.  Some  have  very  smooth  canes, 
others  are  covered  with  close  set  spines  or  bristly 
hairs,  as  shown  in  figure  61.  The  fruit  is  also  variable 
in  color,  from  a  dark  red  to  a  light  bright  crimson ; 
globular  or  conical  in  shape,  and  of  medium  size.  Figure 
62  shows  a  fruit  of  about  the  average  size  when  grown 
in  good  soil. 

Figure  63  shows  a  fruit  branch  when  coming  into  bloom, 
and  figure  64,  a  leaf,  both  somewhat  reduced  in  size.     The 


RASPBERRY. 


151 


leaves  are  bright  green  and  whitish-downy  underneath, 
but  not  so  much  so  as  in  some  of  the  foreign  varieties. 

Allen's  Red  Prolific, — Medium,  globular,  light  crim- 
son, separates  freely  from  the  core,  juicy,  but  mild 
flavor ;  canes  strong,  erect,  reddish  purple  when  mature ; 


Fig.  62.— FRUIT    OF   WILD   RED. 

spines  white,  long,  slender,  very  few  and  scattering  ;  leaves 
thin,  oblong,  pointed,  evenly  serrated,  not  toothed.  Not 
very  prolific,  and  produces  suckers  rather  freely,  but  not 
so  abundant  as  the  next. 

Allen's    Antwerp, — Similar   in   size,    shape,    color    and 


152 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 


quality  to  the  last,  the  leaves  deeply  serrated  or  toothed, 
and  of  more  substance ;  spines  very  numerous,  and  of  a 


Fig.  63.— FLOWERING   STEM  OF   WILD  RED. 

reddish-purple  color.     Botli  this  and  the  preceding  variety 
were  sent  out  by  L.  F.  Allen,  Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  about 


RASPBERRY.  153 

ten  years  ago,  but  they  have  been  placed  on  the  rejected 


Fig.  64.—  LEAF  OF  WILD  RED. 

list  by  the  American  Poraological  Society,  and  almost  uni- 


154  SMALL    FKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

versally  discarded  by  fruit  growers.  They  \vere  not 
claimed  to  be  seedlings  by  Mr.  Allen,  but  merely  acci- 
dental varieties  of  the  wild  Red  Raspberry  of  his  locality. 
I  have  been  more  particular  in  giving  them  a  description, 
because  it  is  very  probable  that  they  will  again  be  brought 
forward  by  other  parties  as  new  and  valuable  varieties. 

Kirtland. — Medium,  nearly  round,  light  bright  crimson, 
separates  freely  from  the  receptacle,  moderately  firm,  sweet, 
of  the  same  flavor  as  the  wild  Red  ;  canes  very  erect,  nearly 
smooth,  pale  red  at  maturity  ;  produces  a  large  number  of 
suckers,  quite  productive,  and  the  earliest  of  the  class. 
The  canes  are  also  quite  hardy.  One  of  the  best  of  the 
native  varieties.  Originated  with  J.  P.  Kirtland,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

Pearl  Raspberry. — Medium,  round,  light  bright  scar- 
let, sweet,  juicy,  moderately  firm,  with  an  agreeable  flavor ; 
plant  a  very  short,  stocky  grower ;  the  cane  seldom  over 
three  feet  high  ;  spines  numerous,  long,  slender,  light  col- 
ored, slightly  tinged  with  purple  ;  suckers  very  numerous, 
and  must  be  kept  down,  or  but  little  fruit  will  be  produced  ; 
moderately  productive  and  hardy.  Origin  unknown.  Cul- 
tivated considerably  about  Philadelphia. 

Stoever,  —  Large,  roundish-conical,  bright  crimson, 
sprightly,  with  strong  wild  flavor ;  canes  very  vigorous, 
nearly  smooth,  reddish  brown  when  ripe  ;  very  unproduc- 
tive. Not  worth  cultivating.  Found  growing  wild  in 
Vermont,  by  J.  T.  Stoever,  and  removed  to  his  garden  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1859. 

Scarlet. — This  variety  has  been  highly  extolled  by 
Wm.  S.  Carpenter,  of  New  York  City,  in  a  late  advertise- 
ment in  the  Gardener's  Monthly.  The  following  extract 
from  a  letter  just  received  will  probably  enable  the  reader 
to  make  a  very  close  guess  as  to  what  class  this  variety 
belongs : 


RASPBERRY.  155 

UNION,  UNION  COUNTY,  N.  J.,  March  7,  1867. 
*  *  *  u  j  purchased  one  hundred  of  the  Allen  Rasp- 
berry about  eight  years  ago,  and  found  among  them  four 
or  five  plants  that  appeared  to  be  a  distinct  variety  from 
the  Allen,  and  whether  it  is  a  new  or  old  variety  I  cannot 
tell.  I  found  it  hardy,  and  much  more  productive  than 
the  Allen.  The  berries  being  perfect,  of  a  bright  re<l 
color,  about  the  size  of  the  Philadelphia  Raspberry. 
Propagates  from  the  roots,  same  as  the  Allen.  Canes  very 
erect,  of  a  purple  color,  and  quite  free  from  spines.  I  let 
Win.  S.  Carpenter  have  some  of  them  two  years  ago,  and 
he  thought  very  highly  of  them.  ******* 
I  would  like  for  you  to  try  some  of  the  Scarlet  Raspberry ; 
possibly  you  may  recognize  it  as  an  old  variety." 

Yours  truly,  JOHN  CRANE. 

It  is  pretty  well  known  that  the  Allen  Raspberry,  when 
sent  out,  was  rather  a  mixed  up  lot,  and  Mr.  Crane  may 
Lave  received  a  vaiiety  distinct  from  those  sent  to  other 
parties,  although  from  his  description  I  should  think  it  the 
Allen's  Prolific. 

This  variety  sometimes  produces  a  very  fair  crop,  pro- 
vided the  plants  are  kept  thinned  and  but  few  suckers  al- 
lowed to  grow. 

Mr.  Crane  does  not  claim  the  Scarlet  as  a  new  variety, 
nor  extol  it  highly,  but  gives  the  facts  in  regard  to  its 
origin,  which  leads  me  to  think  that  he  is  a  gentleman  who 
would  not  mislead  the  public  for  the  sake  of  gain.  The 
price  at  which  he  offers  the  plants  in  his  catalogue,  ($3.00 
per  100),  is  another  proof  that  it  is  not  for  the  sake  of 
profit  that  Mr.  Crane  disseminated  the  Scarlet  Raspberry. 

CLASS  4. — FOREIGN  VARIETIES   AND   THEIE    SEEDLINGS. 

The  greater  part  of  the  following  kinds  belong  to  the 
foreign  species,  (JRubus  Idceus),  but  many  of  them  origi- 
nated in  this  country  from  seed  of  the  foreign  varieties. 

The  fact  of  their  being  produced  here  does  not  make 
them  any  the  less  or  more  valuable  than  those  imported, 


156  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

although  it  will  be  conceded  by  most  of  our  fruit  growers 
that  some  of  the  varieties  raised  in  this  country  are  equal, 
if  not  far  superior,  to  any  that  have  been  obtained  from 
aororid.  As  a  class,  the  varieties  of  the  ft.  Idceus  are 
larger  and  better  flavored  than  those  of  our  native  species, 
ft.  strigosus,  but  there  are  very  few  of  them  that  are 
hardy  in  the  Northern  States,  and  their  leaves  burn  more 
or  less  at  the  South. 

AEtwcrp  Red,  (True  Red  Antwerp,  Old  Red  Antwerp, 
Kmvetfs  Antwerp,  Holland1  a  Antwerp,  Burle\fs  Ant- 
werp,  English  Antwerp.) — Fruit  large,  nearly  globular, 
dark  red,  with  bloom  ;  grains  large ;  juicy,  sprightly  flavor; 
canes  strong  and  tall ;  spines  light  red  and  numerous.  An 
old  variety  seldom  cultivated  at  the  present  time,  as  it  has 
been  superseded  by  the  following : 

Antwerp.  (Hudson  River,  New  Red  Antwerp. ) — Large, 
nearly  conical,  firm,  of  a  pleasant,  sweet,  but  sprightly 
flavor ;  canes  short,  stocky  growth,  with  few  spines ;  the 
bark  on  the  mature  canes  is  of  a  peculiar  grayish  color ;  very 
productive,  but  requires  winter  protection.  This  is  the 
great  market  berry  which  is  so  extensively  cultivated  in 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Origin 
unknown,  but  supposed  to  have  been  procured  in  England 
and  brought  to  this  country  about  fifty  years  ago,  by 
Mr.  Briggs,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

Antwerp  Yellow,  (  White  Antwerp,  Double  Rearing 
Yellow.) — Large,  conical,  pale  yellow,  sweet,  but  not  high 
flavored ;  canes  strong  and  vigorous,  light  yellow  ;  the 
leaves  are  pale  green ;  spines  long,  slender,  white,  on 
some  canes  very  numerous,  but  scarcely  any  on  others. 
Rather  more  haivly  than  the  red,  but  not  sufficiently  so  to 
omit  protecting.  Of  European  origin,  and  but  little  culti- 
vated, as  it  is  not  so  productive  or  good  as  some  others 
of  a  similar  color. 

Barnet,  (Lord  Exmouth,  Large  Red,  CornwalFs 
Seedlings,  Cornwall's  Prolific,  fiarnefs  Antwerp.)  — 


RASPBERRY.  157 

Large,  obtuse-conical,  bright  purplish- red,  sprightly,  pleas- 
ant flavor;  canes  tall,  very  branching,  yellowish  green. 
An  old  English  variety  of  little  value. 

Brentford  Cane, — Small  to  medium,  obtuse-conical,  dark 
red,  inferior  flavor.  An  old  English  variety  of  little  or  no 
value.  Placed  among  the  inferior  varieties  in  the  nursery- 
men's catalogues  of  forty  years  ago. 

Belle  de  Fontenay,  (  Victoria.} — Very  large,  irregular, 
long-conical,  deep  crimson,  with  a  thin  bloom, 
separates  freely  from  the  core,  moderately  firm, 
rather  acid,  but  good ;  canes  very 
strong  and  stocky,  branching  ;  leaves 
thick,  dark  green  above  and  silvery- 
white  beneath  ;  spines  reddish-purple, 
short  and  stiff;  very  hardy  and  pro- 
ductive. Produces  a  second  crop  in 
autumn ;  the  best  of  the  autumn 
bearing  varieties.  It  produces  a 
great  number  of  suckers,  the  larger 
portion  of  which  should  be  removed 
as  soon  as  they  appear,  to  insure  a 
good  crop  of  fruit.  This  has  fre-  Fig.  65.— BELLE  DE  FON- 
quently  been  confounded  with  Mer- 

vielle  des  quartre  Saisons,  but  it  is  distinct.  Originated 
in  France.  Figure  65  represents  a  berry  of  this  variety 
rather  below  the  average  size  which  it  attains  under  or- 
dinary culture.  It  is  very  probable  that  the  engraver 
has  rather  reduced  than  enlarged  the  illustration  of  spec- 
imens placed  in  his  hands. 

Brinckle's  Orange. — See  Orange. 

Burlington, — Large ;  same  color  as  the  Red  Antwerp. 
A  new  variety  ;  originated  by  the  late  Benjamin  Prosser, 
of  Burlington,  New  Jersey.  It  has  been  fruited  but  two 
years  ;  consequently  but  little  is  known  of  its  merits. 


158 


SMALL   FRUIT   CTJLTURIST. 


Belle  de  Palluau.— (Fig.  66.)— Very  large,  obtuse-conical; 
grains  large,  regular ;  light  bright  crimson,  separates  freely 

from  the  core,  sub-acid, 
juicy,  very  good,  mod- 
erately firm;  canes  very 
strong ;  spines  short, 
purple,  not  very  numer- 
ous ;  leaves  medium, 
deep  green  ;  lobes  broad- 
•P.  ly ovate;  serratures very 

Fig.  66.— BELLE   DE   PALLUAU.  ,  * 

regular  and  sharp  point- 
ed ;  very  productive,  and  will  probably  become  a  valua- 
ble market  variety.  Requires  protection  in  winter.  A 
new  variety  from  France. 

Bagley's  Perpetual.  — Medium,  nearly  round,  dark 
crimson,  rather  soft,  acid ;  second  quality  ;  bears  a  second 
crop  in  autumn.  Highly  extolled  a  few  years  ago,  but 
little  has  been  heard  of  it  of  late.  Originated  in  New 
Haven,  Conn. 

Clarke. — (Fig.  67.) — Large,  roundish-conical,  light  crim- 
son ;  grains  medium  ;  very  sweet,  rich,  and  high  flavored, 
parts   freely  from  the  core,  mod- 
erately firm  ;    canes  very  strong 
and    stocky,   erect,  more    or   less 
branching ;  spines  white,  the  ends 
slightly  colored,  rigid,  numerous 
at  the  base  of  the  canes,  scatter- 
ing, and  few  above ;  leaves  very 
large,    thick,     rather     flat,    deep 
green    above,    and   silvery    white 
beneath,    coarsely    and   unevenly 
serrate ;    very  productive,  and  so          Fig'  67--CLARKE- 
far    as   known,  perfectly  hardy.      It    withstood,  without 
protection,  16  degrees  below  zero  in  my  grounds  in  the 
winter  of  1865.     This  comparatively  new  variety  prom- 


RASPBERRY.  159 

ises  to  be  a  valuable  acquisition,  as  its  leaves  are  so  tough 
that  they  endure  the  hot  weather  in  summer  without  in 
jury.  I  have  had  it  in  cultivation  four  years,  and  from 
this  very  brief  experience  I  feel  inclined  to  place  it  high  in 
the  list  of  choice  varieties.  Raised  from  seed  by  E.  E. 
Clarke,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  1856. 

Cretan  Red. — Small,  conical,  crimson  or  deep  red,  sub- 
acid,  poor  flavor,  not  very  productive.  A  very  old  foreign 
variety.  Placed  on  the  rejected  list  by  the  American 
Pomological  Society. 

Cope. — Large,  obtuse-conical,  light  crimson,  parts  freely 
from  the  core,  rather  firm,  sweet  and  good  ;  canes  moder- 
ately strong ;  spines  purple,  short  and  numerous ;  produc- 
tive, but  not  equal  to  some  other  varieties.  Originated 
with  the  late  Dr.  Wm.  D.  Brinckle,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
to  whom  we  are  also  indebted  for  many  valuable  varieties 
of  the  Raspberry. 

Col,  Wilder. — Large,  roundish-conical,  yellowish  white 
or  cream  color,  very  sweet,  juicy  and  good,  but  rather 
soft ;  canes  strong  and  vigorous ;  spines  white  ;  leaves 
dark  green,  and  somewhat  crimped  or  wavy.  Raised 
from  seed  of  the  Fastolff  by  Dr.  Brinckle,  and  named  in 
honor  of  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  the  distinguished  pomologist 
of  Boston,  Mass. 

dishing* — Large,  roundish-conical,  light  crimson,  very 
regular  in  form ;  grains  small,  compact ;  separates  freely 
from  the  core  ;  juicy,  sprightly  flavor,  and  good  ;  spines 
brownish  purple,  stiff  and  rather  numerous ;  leaves  large 
and  thin,  irregularly  and  coarsely  serrated  or  toothed ; 
moderately  vigorous  and  productive.  Raised  by  Dr. 
Brinckle,  and  named  in  honor  of  J.  P.  Cushing,  of  Water- 
town,  Mass. 

Cutbush'S  Prince  Of  Wales, — Large,  very  regular,  ob- 
tuse-conical, light  crimson,  rather  dry,  sub-acid  flavor; 
canes  strong  and  vigorous;  spines  purple,  long  and  slen- 


160  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURTST. 

der,  numerous ;  productive.  An  English  variety  of  no 
particular  value,  because  there  are  many  others  that  are 
far  better. 

Double  Hearing. — An  old  variety,  discarded  by  Ameri- 
can Pomological  Society. 

Downing.  —  Large,  regular,  conical ;  grains  medium ; 
bright  crimson,  juicy,  sweet  and  rich,  firm,  parts  freely 
from  the  core  ;  canes  strong,  erect ;  spines  very  short  and 
stout,  pale  green;  leaves  very  large,  deep  green,  nearly 
flat  when  fully  developed;  quite  productive.  A  good 
market  variety.  Requires  protection  in  winter  the  same 
as  the  Antwerp.  A  seedling  of  the  Orange,  raised  by 
Charles  Downing,  Newburgh,  N".  Y.,  who  has  no  plants 
of  any  kind  for  sale. 

Duhring. — Large,  roundish-conical,  bright  red,  firm, 
rich  and  excellent  flavor.  A  strong  and  vigorous  grower, 
and  said  to  be  very  productive  and  hardy.  New ;  not 
fully  tested.  Supposed  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Hornet. 
Originated  on  the  grounds  of  Henry  Duhring,  Esq.,  Bel- 
mont,  near  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  stock  of  plants  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Henry  A.  Dreer,  the  well  known 
seedsman  of  Philadelphia,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
plants  and  description. 

Emily, — Large,  roundish-conical,  pale  yellow;  spines 
white ;  vigorous  and  productive.  One  of  Dr.  Brinckle's 
seedlings,  which  proved  unworthy  of  dissemination. 

Fastolff, — Large,  obtuse  or  roundish-conical,  crimson; 
grains  large,  soft,  sweet  and  rich;  one  of  the  best  in 
flavor.  Adheres  so  firmly  to  the  core  that  the  berries  are 
often  broken  in  picking;  canes  moderately  strong  and 
rather  crooked ;  spines  purple,  stiff,  and  quite  numerous ; 
very  productive.  An  excellent  variety  for  home  use,  but 
too  soft  for  market.  An  old  English  variety ;  its  name 
said  to  be  from  an  old  castle  in  Great  Yarmouth,  England. 

Fillbasket,    (Northumberland  Fillbasket.) — Large,  ob- 


RASPBERRY. 


1C! 


tuse-conical,  crimson  ;  grains  large,  with  thin  bloom  ;  firm, 
sweet,  not  very  juicy,  but  good;  canes  strong,  with  pur- 
plish spines,  which  are  quite  abundant  on  the  entire  length 
of  the  cane ;  leaves  large,  thick,  not  so  deep  green  as 
some;  the  leaflets  broadly  ovate;  quite  productive.  An 
English  variety, introduced  about  ten  years  since. 

Franconia* — (Fig.  68.) — Large,  obtuse-conical,  dark, 
purplish-red  or  crimson,  firm,  with  a 
rich,  sprightly  flavor ;  canes  strong, 
branching  ;  spines  purple,  stout,  scat- 
tering ;  leaves  large,  deep  green, 
rather  flat  when  fully  developed.  A 
valuable  market  variety.  Requires 
protection  in  winter.  Introduced 
from  France  twenty-five  years  ago. 
French,  (  Vice  President  French.} 
—Medium  to  large,  obtuse-conical, 
crimson  ;  grams  large  ;  firm,  sweet, 

rich  and  excellent ;    one  of  the  best ;    canes  very  strong, 

erect ;  spines  purple,  stout  and  numerous ;  very  productive. 

A  valuable  variety.     Supposed  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Fas- 

tolff.     Raised  by  Dr.  Brinckle,  and  named  in  honor  of  B. 

V.  French,  Vice  President  of  the  Mass.  Horticultural  Soc. 
Fulton, — A  large,crimson  variety  raised  by  Dr.  Brinckle. 

Probably    lost,   as   nothing   has 

been  heard  of  it  lately. 
General  Patterson, —  Large, 

round,  crimson,  adheres  firmly 
to  the  core.  One  of  Dr.  Brinck- 
le's  seedlings. 

Hornet, — Very  large,  conical, 
deep  crimson,  grains  variable  in 
size,  juicy,  sub-acid,  good,  mod- 
erately firm;  canes  very  strong,  Fi-  69.— HORNET 
erect,   spines   short,   purplish ;     fruit    stems    very    long. 


Fig.  68  —  FRANCONIA. 


162  SMALL   FRUIT  CULTURIST. 

Productive,  and  promises  to  be  a  good  market  variety 
Originated  in  France,  with  M.  Souchet,  of  Bagnolet, 
near  Paris. 

Huntsman's  Giant. — In  size,  shape  and  quality  very 
similar  to  the  Franconia,  but  the  canes  grow  much  taller, 
and  when  fully  mature  have  a  peculiar  grayish-white  bark. 
A  seedling  of  the  Franconia,  very  productive,  and  continues 
a  long  time  in  fruit.  Raised  by  Prof.  T.  W.  Huntsman, 
Flushing,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Huntsman  has  paid  considerable  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  the  Raspberry,  raising  an  immense 
number  of  seedlings,  hoping  to  obtain  a  hardy  variety 
that  was  equal  to  the  best  tender  kinds.  This  one  is  not 
claimed  to  be  perfectly  hardy,  although  more  so  than  its 
parent.  Mr.  Huntsman  very  reluctantly  gave  me  permis- 
sion to  name  this  seedling  and  notice  it,  and  I  have  done 
so,  believing  it  worthy  of  being  placed  among  the  new  and 
promising  varieties. 

Imperial* — This  is  another  French  variety  lately  intro- 
duced. I  have  not  yet  fruited  it.  The  plants  resemble 
the  Hornet  but  the  fruit  is  said  to  be  not  quite  so  good. 

Jouet* — Medium  to  large,  light  pale  yellow ;  canes 
feeble,  spines  very  numerous,  nearly  white.  Not  worth 
cultivating,  as  we  have  several  others  of  the  same  color 
which  are  far  superior  to  it  in  every  respect. 

Knevet'S  Giant. — Large,  or  very  large,  globular,  light 
crimson,  adheres  rather  firmly  to  the  core,  juicy  and 
good;  canes  very  strong,  spines  short,  purplish,  very  few 
and  scattering.  Very  productive.  An  English  variety  of 
considerable  merit. 

Large  Fruited  Monthly.  (Rivers'  New  Monthly.}-* 
Medium  to  large,  roundish-conical,  crimson,  soft,  sweet, 
and  juicy,  good  ;  canes  strong,  spines?  red,  stout.  Some- 
times it  produces  a  very  fair  crop,  but  not  equal  to  Belle 
de  Fontenay  for  a  late  one.  Raised  by  Thomas  Rivers, 
Sawbridge  worth,  England. 


RASPBEEEY.  163 

Magnum  Bo  num. — Very  similar,  if  not  the  same  as  the 
Yellow  Antwerp.  Introduced  from  England  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago. 

Merveille  de  ftuatre  Saisons.  (Marvel  of  the  Four 
Seasons.) — Medium  to  large,  obtuse-conical,  crimson,  soft, 
sweet  and  good ;  canes  erect,  rather  slender,  spines  purple, 
short  and  quite  numerous,  leaves'  flat,  pale  green  under- 
neath, and  not  so  dark  green  above  as  the  Belle  of  Fon- 
teney  which  is  often  sold  for  this  variety.  The  leaves  are 
also  finely  and  evenly  serrated.  Very  hardy  and  produces 
an  immense  number  of  suckers.  There  is  also  a  variety  of 
this  with  yellow  fruit,  but  it  is  scarcely  worth  cultivating, 
as  it  is  very  unproductive. 

Naomi. — A  new  variety  from  Ohio,  said  to  be  very  large 
and  excellent.  I  have  not  had  an  opportunity  of  fruiting 
it,  as  the  plants  were  not  for  sale  until  the  past  season. 

Orange.  (Brinckle's  Orange.) — Large,  obtuse-conical, 
orange;  sweet,  rich  and  delicious  flavor;  canes  strong, 
with  small,white  spines ;  plant  vigorous  and  very  produc- 
tive. This  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  in  cultivation.  Plant 
requires  protection  in  winter.  Originated  by  Dr.  Brinckle, 
in  1845. 

Pilate. — Large,  long-conical,  grains  small,  compact,  dark 
red,  firm,  juicy,  sub-acid,  only  passably  good;  canes  not 
very  vigorous,  spines  numerous,  purplish -red;  productive. 
One  of  the  new  French  varieties,  highly  extolled,  but  in- 
ferior to  many  of  the  varieties  produced  in  this  country. 

Rivers'  Seedlings. — Mr.  Thomas  Rivers,  the  veteran 
promologist  of  England,  has  paid  considerable  attention  to 
the  Raspberry,  and  has  produced  many  hundreds  of  seed- 
lings. Some  of  them  have  reached  this  country,  but  there 
appears  to  be  considerable  confusion  in  regard  to  their  iden- 
tity and  names.  The  one  known  as  Rivers'  Black  Rasp- 
berry does  not  belong  to  the  Black  Raspberry  family  of  this 
country.  It  is  a  dark  purple  fruit,  with  a  white  bloom, 


1G1:  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

rather  soft,  of  peculiar  rich  flavor,  but  not  particularly 
valuable.  Another,  received  under  the  name  of  Rivers' 
Seedling,  is  a  large,  roundish-conical  berry,  deep  crimson, 
with  a  thin  bloom,  quite  acid  and  not  rich;  canes  very 
vigorous,  branching,  of  a  reddish  color,  spines  purple,  short, 
and  very  strong;  produces  very  few  suckers.  Perfectly 
hardy  and  very  productive ;  will  probably  be  a  good  mar- 
ket variety.  Mr.  Rivers  exhibited  a  new  variety  at  one  of 
the  Horticultural  shows  in  England  a  few  years  since, 
which  he  claimed  to  be  a  hybrid  between  the  Raspberry 
and  Blackberry,  but  I  am  not  aware  of  its  success. 

Russell's  Red  Raspberry. — Large,  roundish-conical, 
dark  red,  moderately  firm,  juicy,  sweet  and  good ;  canes 
strong,  erect ;  spines  white,  straight,  few  and  scattering. 
Supposed  to  be  hybrid  between  the  Purple  Cane  and  White 
Antwerp;  very  hardy  and  productive  ;  propagated  by 
suckers.  Originated  in  the  garden 
of  Dr.  G.  W.  Russell,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  and  named  by  the  Hartford 
Co.  Horticultural  Soc.,  in  1858. 

Souchettii.     (White  Transpar- 
ent.)— (Fig.  70.) — Large,  conical, 
somewhat  irregular  in  form  ;  pale 
yellow,  firm  but  juicy,  sweet  and 
very    good ;     canes     vigorous ;    spines 
nearly    white    and    few;    leaves  large 
and  wavy,  thin,  light   green.      A  pro-  Fiy;.  70.— SOUCHETTII. 
ductive  variety,  raised  by  Mr.  Souchet. 

Semper  FideliSt — Large,  irregular-conical,  dull  crimson, 
rather  firm  and  diy,  sub-acid  ;  second  rate  in  quality ;  canes 
strong,  spines  purple,  short  and  stiff',  numerous ;  leaves 
large,  evenly  serrated ;  very  productive.  A  new  variety 
from  England,  where  it  is  highly  extolled. 

Walker, — Large,  round,  deep  crimson,  soft,  juicy, 
sprightly  flavor,  good ;  canes  strong  with  a  few  stiff*  pur- 


RASPBERRY.  165 

plish  spines;  very  productive.      One  of  Dr.    Brinckle's 
seedlings. 

Yellow  Chili* — Large,  conical,  pale  yellow,  slightly 
tinged  with  orange,  very  soft,  sweet  and  juicy;  canes 
strong,  branching,  spines  long,  slender,  white.  A  French 
variety  which  I  received  about  ten  years  since.  Not  valu- 
able, and  inferior  to  several  others  of  similar  color. 

Miscellaneous  Varieties, — The  following  list  comprises 
the  new  and  old  varieties  of  which  little  is  known  at  the 
present  time.  Some  of  them  have  been  merely  announced 
in  the  nurserymen's  catalogues,  or  in  some  of  the  various 
Horticultural  Journals,  while  others  are  old  foreign  varie- 
ties that  have  been  superseded  by  better  kinds.  I  have 
added  whatever  information  I  possessed  in  regard  to  each. 
Plants  of  some  of  the  new  ones  have  been  received,  but  not 
tested,  consequently  I  cannot  give  a  description,  nor  de- 
cide upon  their  merits : 

Bromley  Hill, — An  old,  red,  English  variety,  of  fair 
quality,  but  not  productive. 

Beehive, — Large  red.      (Prince's  Catalogue,  1844.) 

Cornish. — An  old  discarded  English  variety. 

Chili  Monthly, — An  old  foreign  variety. 

Cox's  Honey, — An  old  white  variety. 

Early  Prolific, — Poor  flavor;  an  old  variety  from 
England. 

Jillards'S  Seedling, — An  English  variety  of  very  good 
quality. 

Keystone, — Originated  with  A.  L.  Felton,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  Described  as  very  large,  crimson.  An  excellent 
variety,  although  the  canes  are  tender. 

LongWOrth, — Large,  round,  deep  crimson.  One  of  Dr. 
Brinckle's  seedlings. 

Mrs,  Ingersoll, — Large,  yellow,  of  fair  quality.  Raised 
by  Dr.  Brinckle. 


166  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

Mrs.  Wilder. — A  seedling  of  the  Colonel  Wilder,  simi 
lar  in  color.  Named  by  Dr.  Brinckle. 

Mote's  Seedling. — New,  from  Ohio,  of  the  JKubus  Oc- 
cidentalis  species. 

Nottingham  Scarlet,— Rejected  by  the  American  Po- 
mological  Society. 

New  Everbearing. — Noticed  in  the  Proceedings  of  tho 
Cincinnati  Horticultural  Society,  Dec.,  1861. 

Princess  Alice. — A  new, English  variety,  raised  by  Cut- 
bush  &  Son,  Highgate,  England. 

Richardson.— Noticed  in  Gardeners'  Monthly,  1862. 
p.  339. 

St.  Louis. — Fruit  large,  bright  red,  sweet,  and  of  the 
best  Raspberry  flavor;  plant  hardy. —  Colemari's  Rural 
World. 

Sur passe  Merveille. — Seedling  of  the  OldMerveille  des 
Quartre  Saisons,  yellow,  same  color  and  habit,  but  said  to 
be  superior  to  its  parent;  new.  Raised  by  Simon  Louis. 
Announced  in  the  French  Catalogues,  in  1862. 

Spring  Grove. — -Very  prolific  but  poor  flavor.  An  old 
foreign  variety. 

Superb. — A  poor  flavored,  old,  foreign  variety. 

Superb  d'Angleterre. — Large,  red.  Andre  Leroy's 
Catalogue,  1862. 

Taylor's  Paragon. — Poor  flavor,  old.  Discarded 
European  variety. 

Wilmot's  Early  Red. — An  old  English  variety,  of  small 
size,  deep  red,  and  poor  quality. 

Woodward's  Red  Globe.— Small,  red,  poor  flavor;  old. 
Cultivated  in  England  about  forty  years  ago. 

Woodward, — Small,  round,  crimson ;  very  early ;  spines 
red.  One  of  Dr.  Brinckle's  seedlings. 

SELECTION  OF  VARIETIES. — For  family  use  in  locations 
where  they  will  succeed,  I  would  select  the  following 
varieties:  Brinckle's  Orange,  Clarke,  Franconia,  Fastolff, 
and  French. 


RASPBERRY.  167 

FOR  MARKET. — Hudsou  River  Antwerp,  Franconia,  for 
particular  locations;  and  Philadelphia  and  one  of  the 
Black  Cap  varieties  for  general  cultivation.  If  the  Clarke 
should  prove  to  be  as  hardy  as  heretofore,  and  grow  well 
at  the  South,  then  it  will  take  a  high  rank  among  the 
market  varieties,  as  well  as  for  home  use. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


BLACKBERRY. 
RUBUS.— BRAMBLE. 

The  Blackberry  belongs  to  the  same  family  and  genus 
as  the  Raspberry.  The  fruit  in  this  case  is  a  collective 
mass  of  drupes  attached  to  the  juicy  receptacle — not 
separating  as  in  the  Raspberry,  but  falling  oif  whole.  In 
form,  the  berries  are  mostly  ovate  or  oblong,  brown  or 
blackish,  occasionally  yellowish-white. 

There  :ire  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  species  of  the 
Blackberry  known  to  botanists,  and,  like  the  Raspberry, 
they  are  distributed  over  a  greater  portion  of  the  world. 

Few  of  the  species  possess  any  particular  merit  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  fruit  growers  of  the  present  time,  con- 
sequently I  shall  confine  myself  mainly  to  the  indigenous 
species  and  their  varieties.  The  following  six  species  are 
natives  of  the  United  States  : 

Rubus  villOSUS, — Common  High  Blackberry. — Stems 
shrubby,  two  to  eight  feet  high,  furrowed,  upright  or  re- 
clining, armed  with  stout  curved  prickles ;  lower  surface 
of  the  leaves  hairy  and  glandular ;  leaflets  three  or  pe- 
dately  five,  ovate,  pointed,  unequally  serrate  ;  plant  varia- 


BLACKBERRY. 


169 


able  in  size  and  in  its  general  appearance.  Figure  71 
shows  a  section  of  the  stem  of  the  well  known  New  Ro- 
chelle  Blackberry,  which  is  a  variety  of 
this  species. 

R,  CanadcnsJS.  —  Low  Blackberry, 
Dewberry.  —  Shrubby,  trailing  slightly, 
prickly;  leaflets  three  or  pedately  five  to 
seven,  oval  or  ovate-lanceolate,  mostly 
pointed,  thin,  nearly  smooth  ;  flowers  in 
racemes  with  leaf-like  bracts ;  fruit  mostly 
round,  with  large  grains,  sweet  and 
pleasant  flavor,  ripens  earlier  than  JK.  Vil* 
losus.  Very  common  in  dry  sandy  soils. 

R,  llispidllS. — Running  Swamp  Black- 
berry.— Stems  slender,  shrubby,  mostly 
trailing,  with  numerous,  small,  reflexed 
prickles ;  leaflets  three,  rarely  five,  smooth, 
obovate,  coarsely  serrate,  entire  toward 
the  base ;  flower  small,  borne  on  a  leafless 
peduncle;  fruit  purple  or  shining  black, 
grains  large  and  few;  generally  very 
acid.  Common  in  the  Northern  States, 

i  o* 

in  low,  damp  woods. 

R,  CUlieifolius. — Sand  Blackberry. — One  to  three  feet 
high,  shrubby,  upright,  armed  with  stout,  recurved  prickles; 
branchlets  and  lower  surface  of  the  leaf,  whitish,  woolly  ; 
leaflets  three  to  five,  wedge-obovate,  thickish,  serrate  above  ; 
peduncles  two  to  four  flowered ;  petals  large ;  fruit  medium 
size,  of  good  flavor,  black,  ripens  late.  Common  in  New 
Jersey  and  southward,  in  sandy  soils. 

R,  trivialis, — Low  Bush  Blackberry. — Stems  shrubby, 
trailing,  bristly  and  prickly;  leaves  evergreen,  coriaceous, 
nearly  glabrous ;  leaflets  three  or  pedately  five,  ovate- 
oblong,  or  lanceolate,  sharply  serrate,  peduncles  one  to 
three  flowered.  Sandy  soils,  from  Virginia  southward. 


170 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUKIST. 


R.  spectablis. — Flowers  solitary,  of  a  beautiful  purple 
color ;  stems  without  prickles.  Native  of  northwest 
coast  of  America,  on  the  banks  of  the  Columbia  River. 

R.   frllticoSUS. — Stems  straggling,  arched,  angular  and 


rather   tomentose;   prickles   recurved,  fruit   dark   purple 


Fig.  72. — EUROPEAN   BLACKBERRY. 

with  a  peculiar  mawkish  flavor.  Common  European  Black- 
berry or  Bramble. 

There  are  several  species  of  the  Blackberry  found  in 
South  America,  West  Indies,  arid  Mexico,  but  we  have  no 
cultivated  varieties  of  them,  neither  do  they  possess  any 
qualities  superior  to  those  found  in  the  United  States. 

Very  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  cultivation  of  this 


BLACKBERRY.  171 

fruit  except  in  this  country,  consequently  we  have  no  su- 
perior foreign  varieties,  nor  can  we  find  any  practical  in- 
formation in  regard  to  their  cultivation,  in  any  European 
work  on  gardening.  The  Blackberry  has  no  separate  his- 
tory from  that  of  the  Raspberry,  as  they  are  both  called 
Brambles  in  the  old  works ;  and  it  is  evident  that  it  has 
never  been  considered  worthy  of  any  special  care  in  any 
country  except  our  own. 

( nltivation,  Propagation,  &c, — The  same  method  of 
cultivation  recommended  for  the  Raspberry  is  also  appli- 
cable to  the  Blackberry.  In  selecting  a  soil,  a  rather  dry 
one  is  preferable  to  one  that  is  very  moist  or  wet;  neither 
should  the  soil  be  as  rich  as  for  the  Raspberry,  because 
the  varieties  generally  cultivated  are  large,  coarse  growing 
plants,  ,and  if  the  soil  is  too  rich  the  canes  will  grow  very 
large  and  succulent,  and  will  neither  be  so  hardy  nor  pro- 
ductive as  those  of  a  moderate  growth.  It  is  also  a  good 
plan  to  pinch  off*  the  terminal  shoots  the  last  of  August  or 
first  of  September,  to  check  the  growth,  and  cause  the 
canes  to  more  fully  ripen  than  if  allowed  to  grow  undis- 
turbed. The  plants  should  also  be  given  more  room  than 
the  Raspberry,  as  they  usually  grow  more  branching  and 
make  larger  stools.  The  rows  should  be  at  least  six  feet 
apart,  and  eight  would  be  still  better  for  the  larger  grow- 
ing kinds.  Staking  the  plants  may  be  dispensed  with  if 
they  are  severely  pruned  so  as  to  enable  them  to  sustain 
the  fruit.  Many  cultivators,  however,  always  stake  and 
tie  up  their  plants,  or  build  cheap  trellises  with  posts  and 
wire  to  which  the  canes  are  fastened  in  the  spring  at  the 
time  of  pruning.  It  would  be  better  to  take  out  the  old 
bearing  canes  soon  after  the  fruit  is  gathered,  but  this 
would  make  it  necessary  to  go  over  the  plants  twice,  while 
if  the  old  canes  can  be  cut  out  and  the  young  ones  pruned 
at  the  same  time,  considerable  labor  is  saved.  One  annual 
pruning  is  the  usual  method,  choosing  the  early  spring  for 
performing  this  operation.  For  taking  out  the  old  canes  a 


172 


SMALL    PEUIT   CTTLTUEIST. 


pair  of  shears  with  long  handles  (Fig.  73)  is  used,  cutting 
them  as  near  to  the  ground  as 
possible.  A  simple  and  equally  ef- 
cient  pruning  implement  is  made 
by  attaching  a  hooked  knife  to  a 
handle  of  convenient  length,  us 
shown  in  fig.  74.  The  manner  of 
using  it  is  sufficiently  ob- 
vious. The  young  canes 
should  be  headed  back  to 
four  or  five  feet,  and  the 
lateral  branches  to  a  foot 
or  eighteen  inches.  If  too 
many  suckers  have  grown, 
so  that  they  are  likely  to 
crowd,  then  remove  a  por- 
tion of  them,  as  directed 
for  the  Raspberry.  All  va- 
rieties of  the  Blackberry 
produce  suckers  very  free- 
ly, and,  unless  they  are 
wanted,  all  should  be  destroyed 
as  soon  as  they  appear,  except  those 
reserved  for  next  season's  crop. 
The  Blackberry  may  be  propagated  as  directed  for 

the  Raspberry,  cuttings  of  the  roots  usually  making   the 

best  plants. 

VARIETIES. 

Cut-Leaved, — Fruit  roundish,  black,  grains  large,  sweet, 
with  a  slightly  musky  flavor ;  borne  in  loose  panicles, 
steins  nearly  round,  more  or  less  trailing,  fertile  ones 
erect ;  prickles  small  at  the  base,  but  recurved  and  strong 
above,  very  numerous ;  leaves  dissected  and  sharply  serrate, 
as  shown  in  figure  75 ;  flowers  white  or  rose  color.  A 


Fig.  74. 


Fig.  73. 


BLACKBERRY.  173 

variety  of  the  European  Blackberry,  E.  fruticosus,  and 
is  found  in  the  Catalogues  as  R.  laciniatus,  and  also  as 
the  Parsley-leaved  Blackberry.  It  has  been  sparingly 


Fig.  75. — CUT-LEAVED  BLACKBERRY. 

cultivated  in  Europe  for  many  years,  also  in  this  country 
for  twenty  years  or  more.  It  is  scarcely  worth  growing, 
except  as  a  curiosity. 


174 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUBIST. 


Cumberland. — Medium   size,   black,   sweet    and    good, 
quite  early,  and  matures  the  whole  crop  in  a  comparatively 


Fig.  76.— LEAF  OF  DORCHESTER. 

short  time;  plant  quite  hardy  and  productive.  This 
variety  is  largely  cultivated  by  J.  Cox,  of  Bridgeton,  N.  J., 
and  but  little  known  elsewhere. 


BLACKBERRY.  175 

Cape  May. — Very  large,  sweet,  but  quite  soft,  black 
when  first  ripe,  but  soon  changes  to  a  dull  red.  A  very 
good  variety  for  home  use,  but  too  tender  for  market. 

Dorchester, — Fruit  large,  oblong,  oval,  slightly  pointed, 
black,  sweet,  rich  and  excellent,  with  considerable  of  the 
wild  Blackberry  flavor ;  leaves  broad,  oval,  with  a  sharp 
point,  as  shown  in  figure  76 ;  ripens  early,  and  the  berries 
quite  firm.  An  excellent  market  variety.  The  canes  are 
very  vigorous,  and  usually  quite  hardy.  Not  so  produc- 
tive as  some,  but  sufficiently  so  to  make  it  worthy  of  ex- 
tensive cultivation.  Introduced  to  public  notice  by  the 
late  Josiah  Lovett,  of  Beverly,  Mass.,  in  1850 ;  he  having 
procured  the  plants  of  a  gentleman  in  Dorchester,  Mass., 
about  1842. 

Fcltoil, — Very  large,  long,  slightly  conical,  sweet  and 
good;  the  berries  often  very  defective;  ripens  early; 
rather  of  a  spreading  growth,  and  not  so  upright  and  com- 
pact as  some.  This  was  at  one  time  supposed  to  be  the 
same  as  the  Wilson's  Early,  but  it  has  lately  been  decided 
by  several  gentleman  of  Southern  New  Jersey,  who  are 
familiar  with  both  varieties,  that  it  is  distinct,  and  not 
equal  to  the  Wilson's  Early  in  productiveness.  Intro- 
duced a  few  years  since  by  Oscar  F.  Felton,  of  Camden, 
New  Jersey. 

Holcoml), — Large,  roundish-oval,  black,  sweet,  rich  and 
excellent ;  plant  strong,  vigorous  and  productive,  similar  to 
the  Dorchester  in  size  and  productiveness,  commencing 
to  ripen  about  the  same  time,  and  continues  in  fruit  for 
several  weeks.  Introduced  to  public  notice  by  E.  A.  Hoi- 
comb,  of  Granby,  Conn.,  in  1855. 

Kittatinny. — Large  to  very  large,  slightly  conical,  deep 
shining  black,  moderately  firm,  sweet,  rich  and  excellent ; 
figure  77  is  a  fair  representation  of  a  well  grown  cluster ; 
leaves  ovate,  with  rather  a  long  point,  as  shown  in  figure 


176 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


Fig.  77.— KITTATINNY. 


BLACKBERRY.  177 

78,  finely  and  unevenly  serrate ;  plant  a  strong  and  vigor- 
ous grower,  and  very  productive.    The  fruit  begins  to  ripen 


.   78.— LEAF  OF  KITTATINNY. 

a  few  days  earlier  than  the  New  Rochelle,  and  continues 
for  four  or  five  weeks.     This  is  an  old  variety,  although 

8* 


178  SMALL    FRUIT    CULT'JKIST. 

new  to  the  public,  as  it  was  not  extensively  disseminated 
until  last  year,  but,  so  far  as  known,  it  is  very  hardy,  and 
promises  to  be  one  of  the  very  best  varieties  known. 
Found,  about  twenty  years  ago,  by  a  Mr.  Wolverton, 
growing  wild  in  the  woods  near  the  Kittatinny  Moun- 
tains, in  Warren  County,  New  Jersey. 

New  Rochelle.  (Seacor*s  Mammoth,  Lawton.) — Very 
large,  irregular,  roundish-oval,  black,  very  juicy,  and  mod- 
erately sweet  when  fully  ripe,  but  it  does  not  reach  this 
point  until  several  days  after  the  fruit  has  become  black, 
at  which  time  it  is  very  soft.  A  strong  and  vigorous 
grower,  and  very  productive.  The  fruit  commences  ripen- 
ing rather  late,  and  continues  for  a  long  time, 
and  unless  the  soil  is  naturally  moist,  or  the 
ground  covered  with  a  mulch,  many  of  the 
late  berries  will  fail  to  come  to  maturity. 
The  canes  are  also  rather  tender,  often  win- 
ter-killing, even  in  the  vicinity  where  it  origi- 
nated. The  New  Rochelle  Blackberry  has 
probably  done  more  to  make  this  class  of 
fruits  popular  than  any  other  variety,  but  some 
of  the  kinds  lately  introduced  are  likely  to 
supersede  it.  Found  by  Lewis  A.  Seacor  in 
the  town  of  New  Rochelle,  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y. 

Newman's  Thomless. — Medium,  roundish- 
oval,  black,  rather  acid,  but  good  when  fully 
ripe ;    canes   slender,  nearly  round,  growing 
only  three  or  four  feet  high ;    spines  small, 
short,  as  shown  in  figure  79 ;    some  of  the 
canes  almost  smooth.     It  is  usually  very  un- 
productive, but  occasionally  it  will  produce 
Fig.  79.        quite  a  large  crop.    Discovered  growing  wild, 
and  introduced  by  Jonas  Newman,  Ulster  County,  New 
York. 


BLACKBERRY.  179 

White. — A  variety  sent  out  several  years 
since,  but  it  is  unproductive,  and  not  worth  cultivating. 

Wilson's  Early, — Very  large,  oblong,  oval,  slightly 
pointed,  black,  quite  firm,  sweet,  rich  and  good ;  canes 
strong,  roundish,  not  so  deeply  corrugated  as  the  New 
Rochelle  or  Dorchester.  It  is  probably  a  sport  of  the 
trailing  Blackberry,  or  a  cross  between  it  and  the  high- 
bush.  Although  the  plant  is  naturally  an  erect  grower, 
still,  occasionally,  a  cane  will  grow  for  several  feet  along 
the  ground,  and  the  tip  take  root,  as  is  usual  with  the  com- 
mon creeping  Blackberry,  or  Dewberry,  as  it  is  generally 
called.  The  fruit  ripens  very  early,  and  the  entire  crop 
matures  in  about  two  weeks.  This  peculiarity  in  ripening 
gives  the  grower  of  it  an  opportunity  of  sending  the  en- 
tire crop  to  market  before  other  varieties  are  ripe.  It  is 
but  little  known,  except  in  the  vicinity  where  it  originated. 
Mr.  Wm.  Parry,  John  S.  Collins,  Jas.  S.  Williams,  and  a 
few  other  fruit  growers  near  Philadelphia,  have  quite  ex- 
tensive plantations  of  this  variety,  and  from  an  examina- 
tion of  the  fruit  the  past  season,  I  conclude  that  it  will 
prove  to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  varieties  yet  intro- 
duced ;  although  it  would  not  be  advisable  for  those  who 
intend  to  grow  fruit  for  market  to  confine  themselves  en- 
tirely to  this  one  kind,  because  of  its  very  limited  period 
of  ripening.  Discovered  by  John  Wilson,  of  Burlington, 
"NT.  J.,  about  1854. 

The  following  kinds  I  have  not  fruited,  neither  have  1 
my  very  reliable  information  in  regard  to  their  merits. 

Albion* — Found  growing  wild  at  Albion,  Edwards 
County,  Illinois.  The  fruit  is  said  to  be  very  large,  of  a 
pink  color. 

Claret, — A  new  variety,  found  by  D.  L.  Adais,  of 
Hawesville,  Ky.  Fruit  large,  of  a  glossy  claret  color. 

Col,  Wilder, — Fruit  bright  cream  color.  Raised  by 
John  B.  Orange,  of  Albion,  Illinois,  and  named  in  honor 


180 


SMALL  FKTJIT   CULTTJKIST. 


Fig.  80.— WILSON'S  EARLY. 


BLACKBERRY.  181 

of  the  veteran  pornologist,  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  of  Boston, 
Mass. 

Crystal  White. — A  new  variety  from  the  West.  Fruit 
said  to  be  yellowish-white,  and  of  excellent  quality.  The 
foliage  of  this  variety  is  very  peculiar,  inasmuch  as  the 
leaflets  are  very  narrow,  almost  oblong,  lanceolate.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  this  may  prove  equal  to  its  reputation  at 
the  West,  because  a  really  good  variety  of  this  color 
would  be  a  valuable  acquisition. 

Cutter's  Mulberry. — Introduced  by  G.  B.  Cutter,  of 
Newton,  Mass.,  and  described  in  Hovey's  Magazine  of 
Horticulture,  in  1859. 

Dr.  Warder. — Color  a  dark  rosy-red.  Raised  from  seed 
by  Mr.  Orange,  the  originator  of  the  Col.  Wilder,  and 
named  in  honor  of  Dr.  Warder,  of  Ohio. 

Mason's  Mountain. — A  new  variety  from  Nebraska, 
which  has  not  been  fruited  as  yet  at  the  East. 

Washington,— Exhibited  by  Prof.  C.  G.  Page,  of  Wash- 
ington,  D.  C.,  in  1859.  I  have  not  seen  any  notice  of  it 
since. 

PROFITS    OF    CULTURE. 

The  profits  derived  from  the  cultivation  of  the  Rasp- 
berry are  extremely  variable.  The  first  thing  to  be  ascer- 
tained by  those  who  intend  planting  this  fruit  extensively 
is,  whether  there  is  a  good  market,  and  one  that  is  not 
likely  to  be  overstocked.  Then  find  out  what  kinds  are 
the  best  suited  to  the  location. 

For  instance,  if  one  is  located  in  a  section  where  the 
Red  Antwerp  and  similar  foreign  varieties  succeed,  then 
it  would  be  safe  and  perhaps  preferable  to  plant  them  in- 
stead of  others,  because  their  fruit  always  commands  the 
highest  price  in  market. 

In  many  places  at  the  West,  as  well  as  at  the  East, 
these  varieties  succeed  if  protected  in  winter,  and  two  to 


182  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

six  hundred  dollars  per  acre  is  no  uncommon  amount  to 
be  derived  for  the  fruit ;  still  there  are  many  locations 
where  no  amount  of  care  will  make  them  yield  enough  to 
pay  for  their  culture,  consequently  other  varieties  must  be 
selected,  or  Raspberry  culture  be  abandoned. 

In  the  last  few  years  the  Philadelphia  Raspberry  has 
obtained  a  great  reputation,  not  because  its  fruit  is  supe- 
rior, or  even  equal  to  the  best  varieties  of  the  Antwerp 
class,  but  because  the  plant  will  thrive  and  produce  enor- 
mous crops  in  soils  and  locations  where  the  best  foreign 
varieties  fail.  In  Southern  New  Jersey  the  Philadelphia 
is  extensively  grown,  and  four  to  eight  hundred  dollars 
per  acre  are  the  usual  returns  from  plants  when  in  full 
bearing  condition.  The  Purple  Cane  is  largely  grown  at 
the  West.  It  is  hardy  and  very  productive,  but  the  fruit 
is  too  soft  for  sending  any  great  distance,  and  at  the  East 
it  has  been  replaced  by  other  varieties.  The  Black  Cap 
Raspberries  are  also  becoming  quite  popular  among  fruit 
growers,  and  their  cultivation  is  found  to  be  very  profitable. 

The  Blackberry,  as  a  general  tiling,  does  not  bring 
quite  so  large  a  price  in  market  as  the  Raspberry,  but  the 
yield  per  acre  is  often  greater,  so  that  the  returns  will  be 
about  equal,  although,  as  a  rule,  they  are  not  generally 
considered  as  profitable  a  fruit  as  the  Raspberry.  When- 
ever Peaches  are  plentiful,  then  late  varieties  of  the  Black- 
berry sell  at  a  very  low  price.  The  cost  of  cultivation, 
gathering  and  marketing  these  fruits,  is  usually  from  one- 
fourth  to  one-third  of  the  gross  receipts  obtained  for  the 
fruit- 


CHAPTER   V. 


DWARF    CHERRY. 

NATURAL  FAMILY  ROSACE^E. 

PRUNUS.    SUB-GENUS,  CERASUS.— THE  CHERRY. 

The  Cherries,  as  a  class,  do  not  come  within  the  pro- 
posed scope  of  this  work.  But  there  is  at  least  one  native 
species  that  is  worthy  of  being  placed  among  the  small 
fruits,  and  I  have  introduced  it  here  for  the  purpose  of 
calling  the  attention  of  our  horticulturists  to  it,  hoping 
that  through  their  efforts  a  new,  distinct,  and  valuable 
class  of  Cherries  will  be  originated. 

All  of  the  varieties  of  the  Cherry  commonly  cultivat- 
ed, are  of  foreign  origin,  and  the  native  species  have  so 
far  resisted  all  attempts  at  improvement;  as  a  general 
thing,  there  appears  to  be  no  affinity  between  those 
of  the  eastern  and  western  continent.  They  will  neither 
hybridize,  nor  the  wood  unite  when  worked  one  upon  the 
other.  Thus  the  door  seems  to  be  closed  against  the  in- 
termingling of  the  superior  and  the  inferior,  and  progress 
only  possible  by  raising  seedlings  of  the  native  kinds 
without  foreign  aid. 

There  are,  however,  two  indigenous  species  which  appear 
to  be  nearly  related  to  the  foreign,  at  least  sufficiently  so,  to 
183 


184  SMALL   FRUIT  CULTURIST. 

admit  of  being  hybridized  with  it,  as  the  flowers  are  very 
similar  and  the  wood  of  the  two  unites  very  readily.  One 
of  these,  Prunus  Pennsylvanica^  is  a  tall  species,  and  does 
not  come  within  the  scope  of  this  work;  but  a  dwarf  one, 
P.  pumila,  described  by  Dr.  Gray  as  follows : 

"  Smooth,  depressed  and  trailing,  six  to  eighteen  inches 
high;  leaves  obovate-lanceolate,  tapering  to  the  base, 
somewhat  toothed  near  the  apex,  pale  underneath ;  flow- 
ers two  to  four  together;  fruit  ovoid,  dark  red.  Rocks  or 
sandy  banks;  Massachusetts  northward  to  Wisconsin,  and 
south  to  Virginia  along  the  mountains." 

The  above  is  merely  a  general  description  of  the  species, 
but  it  varies  considerably  in  different  locations  and  soils. 

It  is  just  twenty  years  since  I  first  became  acquainted 
with  this  species  while  examining  the  wild  fruits  of  North- 
ern Michigan,  and  by  referring  to  my  diary  of  1846,  I 
find  the  following  notes  : 

"  August  3d,  1846.  Thunder  Bay  Islands,  Lake  Huron. 
— Visited  Hat  Island,  and  found  Dwarf  Cherry,  (Cerasus 
pumila,)  very  abundant.  The  plants  growing  on  the 
beach  in  almost  pnre  sand;  bearing  stems  depressed  with 
the  weight  of  fruit ;  wonderfully  productive. 

Fruit  one-half  inch  long,  and  three-eighths  broad ;  dark 
purple,  nearly  black,  sweet,  but  rather  insipid.  Suckers 
abundant  from  the  underground  stems  or  roots." 

At  the  time  referred  to  above,  I  supposed  this  species 
was  confined  to  the  shores  of  the  lakes,  but  have  since 
learned  that  it  is  widely  distributed  over  the  Northern 
States.  A  few  years  ago,  through  the  kindness  of  Prof. 
George  Thurber,  I  received  some  Cherry  seeds  from  Utah 
Territory,  and  from  them  raised  plants  which  appear  to  be 
of  the  same  species  as  the  one  described  by  Dr.  Gray,  as 
P.  pumila,  and  also  found  by  myself  at  Hat  Island. 
There  is,  however,  considerable  difference  in  the  growth 
of  the  plants ;  the  one  grown  from  the  seeds  obtained 
from  Utah  being  more  erect,  none  of  the  branches  trailing 


CHERRY.  185 

as  in  the  species.     This  peculiarity  of  growth  may  not  be 
different  from  the  wild  plants  found  in  some  localities. 

I  have  some  specimens  now  four  years  from  seed.  They 
are  about  three  feet  high ;  stem  stocky,  but  the  branches 
quite  slender,  cylindrical  and  smooth.  The  bark  brown  and 
shining  on  the  small  twigs,  grayish  when  old.  Fruit  ovoid 
about  a  half-inch  long,  dark  purple,  nearly  black,  sweet, 
with  little  flavor.  I  do  not  consider  this  Cherry  of  any 
particular  value  as  it  is  found  in  its  normal  condition ;  but 
if  we  could  obtain  an  improved  variety  of  a  similar  growth, 
and  as  hardy  and  productive,  it  would  certainly  be  a 
great  acquisition.  There  is  no  reason  why  this  should  not 
be  accomplished,  for,  as  I  have  said,  it  is  nearly  related  to 
our  cultivated  varieties,  and  a  hybrid  can,  and  probably 
will  be,  produced  between  them. 

The  Prunus  pumila  should  be  selected  for  the  parent 
to  supply  the  seed,  and  the  pollen,  for  fertilizing  its  flow- 
ers, taken  from  the  other  species.  It  blooms  rather  later 
than  the  Bigarreau,  or  Morello  varieties,  but  can  easily  be 
hastened  by  planting  in  a  warm  situation  or  under  glass. 

To  produce  a  hybrid  between  this  Dwarf  Cherry  and 
the  larger-growing  kinds,  requires  no  greater  mechanical 
skill  than  to  cross  two  varieties  of  the  Strawberry ;  an 
operation  which  I  have  already  described.  The  stamens 
and  pistils  in  the  flowers  of  the  Cherry  are  large  and  con- 
spicuous, and  cross  fertilization  a  very  simple  operation. 

Here  is  an  opportunity  for  the  enterprising  and  skillful 
horticulturist  to  revolutionize  Cherry  culture,  and  he  who 
first  produces  a  fruit  equal  to  the  Great  Bigarreau,  or 
Early  Richmond  Cherry,  and  borne  upon  a  shrub  no  larger 
than  a  Currant  bush,  will  not  only  have  his  name  handed 
down  to  posterity,  but  will  be  very  likely  to  gather  golden 
harvests  for  his  labor. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


THE    CURRANT. 

NATURAL  FAMILY  GROSSULACE^E. 

RIBES. — THE  CURRANT  AND  GOOSEBERRY. 

[French  name,  Oroseiller  commun;  German,  Oemeine  Johanrdsbeere ;  Dutch, 
Aalbesseboom ;  Italian,  Ribes rosso ;  Spanish,  Grossetta.} 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

Low,  deciduous  shrubs,  with  smooth  stems ;  leaves 
variable,  more  or  less  lobed,  in  some  species  nearly  heart- 
shaped  ;  flowers  small,  greenish-yellow  in  the  commonly 
cultivated  varieties,  in  others  yellow,  crimson,  or  white. 

SPECIES. 

Ribes  prostratrum. — Fetid  Currant. — Stems  reclined; 
leaves  deeply  heart-shaped,  five  to  seven-lobed,  smooth ; 
fruit  pale  red.  In  cold,  damp  woods  in  most  of  the  North- 
ern States. 

Ribes  floridum, — Wild  Black  Currant. — Leaves  sprink- 
led with  resinous  dots,  slightly  heart-shaped,  three  to 
five*iobed,  doubly  serrate ;  fruit  round-ovoid,  black, 
smooth,  with  a  slight  musky  flavor ;  leaves  also  scented. 
Common  in  low  grounds  throughout  the  Northern  States 
and  Canadas. 
186 


CURRANT.  187 

Ribes  mlmi in,. — Red  Currant. — Stems  straggling  or 
reclined  ;  leaves  somewhat  heart-shaped,  obtusely  three 
to  five-lobed,  downy  beneath  when  young ;  racemes  from 
lateral  buds  distinct  from  the  leaf  buds,  drooping ;  calyx 
flat,  greenish  or  purplish ;  fruit  globose,  smooth,  red.  In 
cold,  damp  woods  and  bogs  from  New  England  to  Oregon. 
Native  of  Europe,  and  probably  the  same  species  as  our 
common  Red  and  White  Currants  of  the  gardens. 

Ribes  aurcuin. — Missouri  Currant. — Stems  very  strong, 
erect,  with  light  colored  bark ;  leaves  deeply  and  irregu- 
larly lobed,  usually  more  or  less  toothed ;  flowers  yellow, 
in  clusters  or  short  racemes ;  fruit  large,  globular,  black, 
violet  or  deep  yellow.  Native  of  our  Northwestern 
States  and  Territories. 

Ribes  Sanguine um, —Red  Flowering  Currant. — Native 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  California.  Cultivated  for 
ornament.  Fruit  more  or  less  insipid ;  not  valuable  as  an 
edible  fruit. 

Ribes  nigrum. — Black  Currant. — Leaves  three  to  five- 
lobed;  racemes  loose ;  flo  wers  greenish-white  ;  calyx  often 
of  a  rich  brownish  color  ;  berries  globular,  smooth,  black ; 
leaves  and  fruit  strongly  scented.  Native  of  Northern 
Europe,  even  to  the  sub- Alpine  regions  of  Siberia. 

Many  other  species  of  Currants  are  known,  but  as  we 
have  no  varieties  of  them  cultivated  for  their  fruit,  I  have 
not  thought  it  advisable  to  describe  them.  Those  species 
found  in  Mexico,  Chili,  Straits  of  Magellan,  and  other 
Southern  countries,  would  probably  not  be  hardy  in  the 
United  States. 

HISTORY. 

The  species  of  the  Currant,  from  which  our  cultivated 
varieties  originated,  are  probably  native  of  Northern  Eu- 
rope, as  we  do  not  find  them  mentioned  by  any  of  the  old 
Greek  or  Roman  writers,  who  were  generally  so  particu- 
lar to  name  every  fruit  known  in  their  day. 


188  SMALL   FRUIT  CULTURIST, 

The  English  name  Currant,  or  Corrans,  as  they  were 
formerly  called,  was  given  them,  because  of  their  resem- 
blance to  the  little  Zante  Grape,  which  is  called  Corinths 
in  the  English  markets,  as  it  was  formerly  almost  en- 
tirely imported  from  Corinth. 

The  Black,  Red  and  White  Currant,  although  known 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Northern  Europe  for  centuries,  at- 
tracted very  little  attention  until  within  the  past  hundred 
years. 

Turner,  in  1557,  does  not  name  them  in  his  list  of  culti- 
vated fruits.  Gerarde,  in  1597,  calls  the  Currant  a  smooth- 
stemmed  Gooseberry.  The  Black  Currant  was  formerly 
known  as  the  Squinancy  berry,  because  used  to  cure  the 
quinsie. 

The  people  of  Siberia  use  the  leaves  of  the  Black  Cur- 
rant for  making  a  drink,  the  same  as  we  use  tea.  Loudon 
says  that  the  leaves,  when  dried,  are  an  excellent  substi- 
tute for  green  tea,  and  that  few  persons  can  detect  the 
difference.  The  Red,  White  and  Black  Currants,  one  va- 
riety of  each,  were  the  only  kinds  known  in  cultivation 
until  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  Since  that 
time  considerable  improvement  has  been  made,  and  nu- 
merous varieties  introduced. 

PROPAGATION. 

BY  SEEDS. — This  method  is  seldom  employed,  except 
for  the  purpose  of  producing  new  varieties.  The  fruit 
should  be  gathered  when  fully  ripe,  always  selecting  the 
largest  berries,  and  from  the  earliest  and  mildest  fla 
vored  kinds,  as  the  Currant  being  naturally  a  very  acid 
fruit,  the  aim  should  be  to  produce  sweeter  varieties. 

The  berries  may  be  dried,  and  the  seeds  preserved  in 
the  pulp  until  wanted,  or  be  crushed  and  the  seeds  washed 
out,  as  recommended  for  Strawberries.  They  will  grow 
more  readily  if  not  allowed  to  become  dry,  although  dry- 
ing is  not  so  injurious  to  them  as  it  is  to  many  other  seeds. 


CURRANT.  189 

The  following  plan  is  one  that  I  have  followed  with 
success : 

Gather  the  fruit  when  ripe  and  wash  out  the  seeds,  then 
mix  them  with  pure  sand,  and  put  in  boxes  or  pots,  and 
bury  them  in  a  shady  place,  such  as  the  north  side  of 
some  building  or  fence,  where  they  will  remain  cool  or 
frozen  until  the  ground,  in  which  they  are  to  be  sown,  is 
in  a  condition  to  receive  them.  If  they  are  placed  in  a 
situation  where  the  sun  will  reach  them,  they  are  very 
likely  to  germinate  either  during  winter  or  as  soon  as  the 
frost  leaves  them  in  the  spring,  often  before  the  ground 
will  admit  of  their  being  planted.  If  the  seeds  are  frozen 
after  they  have  sprouted,  it  will  usually  destroy  the  germ 
and  prevent  further  growth.  With  many  persons  the 
cause  of  failure  in  growing  the  Currant  and  Gooseberry 
from  seed  is,  that  they  either  place  them  in  a  situation 
where  they  sprout  and  cannot  grow,  or  where  too  warm 
and  wet,  and  when  the  seeds  are  taken  out  to  be  sown  in 
spring  they  appear  to  be  sound,  yet  their  vitality  is  gone. 

The  seeds  of  all  the  species  of  Ribes  will  germinate  at 
a  very  low  temperature,  and  if  we  keep  them  moist,  and 
where  they  do  not  freeze,  they  are  very  liable  to  start  be- 
fore the  open  ground  is  in  a  condition  to  receive  them. 
The  seeds  may  be  sown  immediately  after  being  taken 
from  the  fruit,  but  in  sections  of  the  country  where  the 
weather  is  very  changeable,  and  the  ground  is  frequently 
frozen  and  thawed,  there  is  more  or  less  danger  of  injury 
from  causes  above  stated.  If  the  seeds  are  kept  dry  dur- 
ing winter,  they  should  be  soaked  in  warm  water  for  two 
or  three  days  before  sowing. 

Sow  in  single  or  wide  drills,  covering  the  seed  one-half 
of  an  inch  deep  with  fine  soil.  Keep  them  clear  of  weeds, 
and  if  the  weather  is  dry,  give  them  occasionally  a  good 
soaking  with  water. 

Transplant,  when  one  year  old,  into  rows  three  feet 
apart,  and  the  plants  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows. 


190  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

PROPAGATION  BY  CUTTINGS. — Cuttings  of  the  ripe  wood 
may  be  made  at  any  time,  from  the  falling  of  the  leaf  in 
autumn  until  the  plants  commence  growth  in  spring. 
But  when  the  best  possible  results  are  desired,  they  should 
be  taken  off  as  soon  as  the  wood  is  fully  ripe. 

Select  good  strong  wood  of  the  present  season's  growth, 
and  make  the  cuttings  about  six  inches  long,  cutting  them 
off  smooth,  just  at  the  base  of  a  bud.  Figures  81  and  82 
show  two  cuttings  (much  reduced  in  size) 
as  prepared  for  planting.  Figure  81  is  a 
cutting  of  the  common  Black  Currant, 
and  figure  82  a  cutting  of  the  Cherry 
Currant.  The  first  has  much  larger  and 
more  prominent  buds  than  the  latter. 
If  all  the  buds,  except  two  or  three  of 
the  upper  ones,  are  cut  out  before  setting, 
the  plant  will  not  produce  as  many  suck- 
ers as  though  they  were  allowed  to  re- 
main. The  advisability  of  this  plan  will 
depend  entirely  upon  the  manner  in  which 
the  plants  are  to  be  grown,  whether  in 
tree  or  stool ;  if  in  the  former,  disbud,  if 
not,  plant  them  entire. 

When  the  cuttings  are  prepared,  plant 
as  directed  for  other  ripe  wood  cuttings, 
in  chapter  11.  The  cuttings  should  be 
covered  with  straw  or  some  similar  ma- 
terial, sufficient  to  keep  out  the  frost,  or, 
Flg'  83'  at  least,  to  prevent  the  ground  from 
frequently  freezing  and  thawing  during  winter.  Re- 
move the  covering  at  the  return  of  warm  weather,  or 
enough  of  it  to  allow  the  young  shoots  to  grow  through 
without  hindrance.  Cuttings  planted  early  in  fall  will 
usually  become  rooted  by  the  time  winter  sets  in,  and 
this  too,  without  their  buds  pushing  into  leaf.  The  next 
season  they  will  make  a  far  better  growth  than  if  their 


CURRANT.  191 

planting  is  deferred  until  spring.  Fall  planting  of  Cur- 
rant cuttings  is  practiced  by  most  of  our  leading  nursery- 
men of  the  present  time,  especially  by  those  whose  nur- 
series are  upon  soils  or  in  sections  of  the  country  where 
the  Currant  ripens  its  wood  early  in  autumn.  The  cut- 
tings may  be  made  in  the  fall ;  if  it  is  not  convenient  to 
plant  them  then,  they  may  be  tied  in  bundles,  and  buried 
in  the  open  ground  or  cellar  until  spring — but  as  the 
Currant  is  one  of  the  earliest  plants  to  show  its  leaves,  the 
cuttings  should  be  planted  as  early  as  possible. 

When  a  variety  is  scarce  and  valuable,  the  cuttings  may 
be  made  very  short, — two  or  three  inches  in  length  will 
answer  the  purpose,  but  they  require  a  little  more  care  in 
handling  and  planting,  as  well  as  keeping  the  ground 
moist,  until  they  become  rooted. 

Another  method  is  to  make  cuttings  of  one  bud,  with 
a  small  portion  of  wood  attached,  say  half  an  inch  above 
the  bud  and  the  same  below,  planting  in  pots  or  boxes  of 
sand  or  sandy  loam,  laying  the  cuttings  down  with  the 
eye  or  bud  on  the  upper  side,  covering  them  about  half  an 
inch  deep.  After  the  cuttings  have  been  placed  in  the 
soil,  the  pots  should  be  set  where  the  temperature  will 
not  be  above  fifty,  and  keep  moist  for  a  few  weeks,  until 
the  callus  is  formed.  Then  put  them  in  a  propagating 
house  or  hot-bed,  where  they  will  receive  a  steady  heat, 
but  not  above  75  or  80  degrees.  As  soon  as  well  rooted, 
pot  them  off  into  small  thumb  pots,  and  after  these  have 
become  well  filled  with  roots,  either  shift  into  larger  ones 
or  plant  into  the  open  ground,  being  careful  not  to  break 
the  ball  of  earth  which  contains  the  roots. 

The  single  bud  cuttings  will  sometimes  grow  quite 
readily  if  planted  "in  the  open  ground,  provided  the  sur- 
face }f  the  soil  above  them  is  covered  with  a  mulch — saw- 
dust or  tan-bark  are  better  for  mulching  the  cutting-bed 
than  straw  or  leaves. 

The  Currant  may  also  be  grown  very  readily  from  green 


192  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

cuttings  taken  from  the  plants  as  they  grow  in  the  open 
ground.  They  should  be  taken  off  as  soon  as  the  plants 
have  made  a  growth  of  two  or  three  inches.  Slip  off  the 
young  growth  close  to  the  old  wood,  and  plant  the  same 
as  other  green  wood  cuttings  in  a  frame,  propagating 
house,  or  under  bell  glasses. 

These  green  cuttings  require  but  a  moderate  degree  of 
heat,  and  will  often  succeed  in  a  half  shady  situation  in 
the  open  ground  if  covered  with  glass.  It  is  better,  how- 
ever, with  very  rare  kinds,  to  take  up  the  plants  in  fall, 
and  put  them  in  a  pot  and  set  in  a  propagating  house ; 
then  take  off  the  young  wood,  as  soon  as  it  is  large  enough 
for  cuttings  ;  in  this  manner  every  shoot  that  appears  can 
be  made  a  strong  plant  by  spring. 

PROPAGATION  BY  SUCKERS. — This  was  formerly  a  more 
common  method  of  propagating  than  at  present,  but 
plants  produced  in  this  manner  are  not  usually  as  good  as 
those  from  cuttings.  The  suckers  that  spring  from  the 
roots  are  slipped  off  close  at  their  base,  and  then  planted 
out,  as  usual  with  other  plants. 

PROPAGATION  BY  LAYERS. — Branches,  when  bent  down 
and  covered  with  soil,  or  even  pegged  to  the  surface  and 
then  covered  with  a  mulch,  will  readily  take  root. 

The  spring  is  the  best  time  to  perform  this  operation, 
because  the  layer  will  become  well  rooted  by  autumn. 
Leave  the  end  of  the  branch  uncovered,  only  burying  that 
portion  on  which  it  is  desirable  to  produce  roots. 

In  the  fall,  separate  the  layer  from  the  parent  plant,  and 
heel-in  until  spring.  Cuttings  grow  so  readily,  that  the 
last  two  named  methods  of  propagation  are  but  seldom 
practiced  with  the  Currant. 

SOIL    AND    CULTIVATION. 

The  Currant  is  a  plant  that  possesses  great  vitality,  and 
will  grow  in  almost  any  kind  of  soil  or  situation,  but  to 
bring  it  to  perfection,  and  make  its  culture  profitable,  it 


CURRANT.  193 

requires  good  culture,  and  a  deep  rich  soil.  It  succeeds 
better  in  a  heavy  loam,  approaching  a  clay,  than  in  a  light 
sandy  soil.  But,  whatever  the  character  of  the  soil,  two 
things  are  important  for  producing  the  best  results, — a 
deep  soil  and  a  rich  one.  It  being  what  may  be  called 
a  gross  feeder,  manure  of  almost  any  kind  may  be  applied 
A\ith  impunity,  and  in  almost  any  quantity. 

To  a  few  persons  this  may  seem  to  be  a  singular  recom- 
mendation, inasmuch  as  we  usually  see,  in  traveling 
through  the  country,  Currant  bushes  growing  in  the  fence 
corners,  or  in  rows  where  the  grass  has  taken  possession 
of  the  soil  and  formed  a  tough  sod  about  the  plants,  and 
still  they  live  and  bear  fruit.  Yet,  while  I  admit  that  the 
Currant  will  live  under  such  treatment,  and  in  quite  poor 
9  soils,  it  never  produces  as  large  of  as  much  fruit  as  when 
it  has  good  culture  and  a  rich  soil. 

For  field  culture  the  plants  should  be  set  in  rows  four 
or  five  feet  apart,  and  about  four  feet  in  the  row. 

Clean  cultivation  is  required  as  \v^th  other  plants,  and 
if  the  whole  surface  of  the  soil  is  covered  with  mulch  dur- 
ing summer,  it  will  not  only  insure  the  maturing  of  the 
crop,  but  will  materially  increase  the  size  of  the  fruit. 

North  of  the  latitude  of  New  York  City,  there  is  but 
little  trouble  in  obtaining  a  full  crop  of  Currants  almost 
every  season,  but  South  of  this,  and  particularly  on  sandy 
soils,  the  dry  weather  often  begins  so  early  that  the  plants 
ripen,  and  the  leaves  fall  before  the  fruit  comes  to  maturi- 
ty. Deep  rich  soil  and  mulching  are  the  best  methods  for 
preventing  this. 

PRUNING    AND    TRAINING 

The  most  common  modes  of  training  are  what  is  termed 
the  bush  or  stool  form,  and  the  tree  shape.  To  grow  the 
bushes  in  the  stool  form,  it  is  only  necessary  to  set  out 
the  plants  singly,  and  allow  them  to  throw  up  suckers 
from  the  main  stem  or  roots,  which  all  the  varieties 
9 


194  SMALL   FEUIT   CULTURIST. 

and  species  do  quite  readily.  The  young  shoots  may  be 
shortened  or  entirely  removed,  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
the  bush  a  regular  shape,  and  make  it  open  or  compact, 
as  desired. 

The  varieties  of  the  Ribes  rubrum^  to  which  species  our 
common  Red  and  White  kinds  belong,  are  usually  grown 
in  this  form,  especially  when  cultivated  in  large  quantities, 
and  for  market  purposes. 

The  fruit  is  mainly  produced  on  the  wood  two  or  more 
years  old,  and  when  a  branch  has  borne  two  or  three 
crops,  it  is  best  to  remove  it  and  allow  a  new  one  to  take 
its  place,  as  young  wood  generally  produces  larger  fruit 
than  that  which  is  very  old. 

About  all  the  pruning  that  'is  necessary  is  to  cut  out,  oc- 
casionally, the  old  wood,  and  shorten  the  most  vigorous 
of  the  young  growth.  • 

If  too  many  young  shoots  or  suckers  appear,  and  they 
are  likely  to  become  crowded,  a  portion  of  them  should 
be  cut  out,  so  that  the  air  and  sun  may  have  free  access 
to  those  that  remain. 

All  dead  or  diseased  shoots  should  be  annually  removed, 
and  only  the  best  and  most  luxuriant  ones  preserved.  If 
the  ends  of  the  growing  shoots  are  pinched  off  during  the 
summer,  it  will  cause  them  to  become  more  stocky  and 
fully  ripe,  while  at  the  same  time  it  will  increase  the  size 
of  the  fruit  which  may  be  on  the  branch  below. 

The  main  object  should  be  to  properly  develop  every 
portion  of  the  plant,  and  this  cannot  be  done  if  it  becomes 
crowded,  either  with  old  or  new  wood. 

A  half  dozen  large,  vigorous  shoots  will  give  more  and 
larger  fruit  than  double  that  number  of  weak  and  imma- 
ture ones. 

When  the  plants  are  to  be  trained  with  single  stems, 
the  system  should  be  commenced  with  the  cutting,  dis- 
budding that  portion  which  is  placed  below  ground,  and 
when  those  above  ground  push,  rub  off  all  but  one,  and 


CURRANT.  195 

train  that  erect ;  the  next  season  cut  it  back  to  within  a 
foot  or  eighteen  inches  of  the  ground.  Allow  three  to 
six  shoots  to  grow  the  second  season,  and  at  equal  distances 
around  the  stem,  if  possible.  The  third  season,  shorten 
these  branches,  and  allow  six  to  twelve  shoots  to  be  pro- 
duced, and  so  on  from  year  to  year,  pruning  out  and  head- 
ing in,  keeping  the  head  open  and  the  branches  arranged 
in  a  vase  form,  or  as  near  it  as  convenient.  In  some  soils 
single  stem  plants  will  live  and  produce  abundantly  for 
eight  to  ten  years,  and  while  young,  the  fruit  will  be  larger 
than  when  grown  in  thick,  compact  bushes.  For  amateurs 
the  single  stem  system  is  a  very  convenient  and  pretty 
method,  and  if  a  plant  fails,  it  may  be  replaced  without 
any  particular  loss,  but  for  field  culture  I  prefer  the  clump 
or  bush  form,  because  it  is  less  trouble,  and  there  is  dan- 
ger of  the  plants  being  killed  by  the  Currant  Borer,  for  if 
one  of  these  gets  into  the  single  stemmed  plant  it  destroys 
it,  and  a  new  one  must  be  planted  or  trained  up  from  one 
of  the  many  suckers  which  will  usually  start  from  the 
roots  after  the  main  stem  has  been  removed. 

With  the  Black -Currant  the  case  is  somewhat  different ; 
being  naturally  a  much  stronger  grower,  the  stems  becom- 
ing quite  large  and  coarse,  they  will  live  for  many  years, 
and  there  is  but  little  danger  of  insects  injuring  them. 
Neither  do  these  require  so  much  pruning  as  other  varie- 
ties; still,  enough  should  be  done  to  give  the  bush  a  regu- 
lar, open  head,  as  well  as  to  cut  out  all  small,  weak  shoots. 
The  young,  one  year  old  shoots  should  net  be  shortened  so 
severely  as  with  other  varieties,  unless  it;  is  necessary  for 
the  purpose  of  giving  the  plant  some  particular  form,  be- 
cause fruit  is  produced  on  the  one  year  old  wood  as  well 
as  upon  small  spur-like  shoots  on  the  old.  The  varieties 
of  the  Ribes  nigrum,  (European  Black  Currant,)  and  the 
Ribes  floridum,  and  R.  aureun,  form  much  larger  bushes 
than  any  of  the  other  species ;  consequently  they  should 
be  allowed  more  room.  If  planted  in  rows,  they  should 


196  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

be  five  to  six  feet  apart,  if  it  is  desirable  to  have  them 
grow  to  full  size,  although  they  are  readily  kept  within  a 
much  less  space,  but  much  fruit  will  be  lost  by  severe 
pruning.  These  coarse  growing  species  usually  produce 
better  and  larger  fruit  on  old  plants  than  on  the  young, 
provided  they  are  given  good  culture,  and  all  little,  weak 
shoots  are  annually  cut  out,  so  that  those  remaining  will 
be  fully  developed. 

The  tree  form  is  preferable  to  the  bush  or  clump  for  all 
the  varieties  of  the  species  last  named. 

INSECTS    AND    DISEASES. 

Insects  injurious  to  the  Currant  and  Gooseberry  have 
long  been  known  in  Europe,  and  it  would  be  very  strange 
indeed  if  we  should  not  import  them  along  with  the 
plants  annually  arriving  from  those  countries. 

This  we  have  done  in  many  instances,  and  in  a  few  lo- 
calities the  Currant  has  been  seriously  injured  by  these 
foreign  pests. 

Probably  the  most  destructive  insect  to  the  Currant,  in- 
troduced or  known  in  this  country,  is  the  Currant  Worm, 
or  what  is  known  in  England  as  the  larva  of  the  Magpie 
Moth  (Abraxis  grossulariata). 

This  insect  has  been  very  destructive  in  Central  New 
York  for  more  than  twenty  years,  commencing  in  the  east- 
ern portion  and  gradually  passing  westward.  It  is  said, 
however,  ti  oLCt  has  ceased  almost  entirely  its  depreda- 
tions, and  ie  pkfew  were  seen  the  past  year.  It  will 
probably  maVer  \s  appearance  in  some  other  section  very 
soon,  if  it  ha£n  1%  already  done  so. 

Personally,  *aniiave  had  no  experience  with  the  insect, 
never  having  seen  one;  consequently  the  following  re- 
marks are  gathered  from  sources  which  I  have  thought  re- 
liable : 

Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  in  his  reports  to  the  New  York  State 
Agricultural  Society,  in  1847,  page  461,  mentions  what 


CURRANT. 


197 


he  supposes  to  be  a  new  species  of  this  insect,  under  the 
name  of  Abraxis  ribearia.  Ten  years  later  he  again  re- 
fers to  it  as  the  European  species,  but  whether  it  is  dis- 
tinct from  the  Abroad*  grossulariata  or  not,  I  leave  for 
entomologists  to  decide. 

The  moths  make  their  appearance  in  June,  depositing 
their  eggs  upon  the  leaves  of  the  Currant,  Gooseberry, 
Plum  and  various  other  plants.  They  are  of  a  dull,  nankeen- 
yellow,  with  broad  bands  of  brown  on  'each  wing. 

In  Figure  83,  at  the  upper  and  right  hand,  is  shown  the 


Fig.  84.— CURRANT  WORM. 

male  moth,  and  at  the  left  the  female,  while  on  the  leaf 
above  may  be  seen  a  worm  as  it  appears  when  feeding. 


198  SMALL  FRUIT   CFLTUKIST. 

Another  worm  is  shown  suspended  from  the  edge  of  the 
leaf,  as  they  appear  when  letting  themselves  down  to  the 
ground ;  while  below  it  is  the  pupa,  in  which  form  the 
worm  remains  in  the  ground  during  winter.  The  worms 
are  about  an  inch  long,  of  a  lively  yellow  color,  covered 
with  small  black  dots.  English  gardeners  recommend 
dusting  the  plants  and  worms  with  powdered  white  helle- 
bore. This  remedy  has  been  used  in  this  country  with 
good  effect. 

There  are  several  other  worms  injurious  to  the  Currant, 
because  they  feed  upon  the  leaves ;  but  their  numbers  are  so 
few  that  they  have  not,  up  to  the  present  time,  caused 
any  considerable  injury. 

There  is,  however,  another  class  of  insects  that  attacks 
the  stems  and  does  considerable  damage.  Among  the  most 
destructive  of  these  are  what  is  called  the  Currant  Borers. 

There  are  several  species ;  the  following  three  are  the 
best  known : 

Prenocerus  SUpernotatllS. — American  Currant  Borer. — 
"  This  is  a  small,  cylindrical,  white  worm,  destitute  of  feet, 
and  with  a  small,  chestnut-brown  head,  and  black  jaws, 
passing  its  pupa  state  in  the  stalks,  and,  the  latter  part 
of  May  changing  to  a  small,  slender,  long-horned  beetle, 
of  a  black  color,  edged  with  chestnut  brown;  its  wing 
covers  each  with  two,  small,  gray  spots  forward  of  their 
middle,  and  a  white  crescent -shaped  one  towards  their 
tips." — Fitch. 

Trochilium  tipuliforme. — European  Currant  Borer. — 
This  is  quite  common  in  the  Eastern  States,  and  we  seldom 
receive  Currant  bushes  from  Europe  that  do  not  contain 
more  or  less  of  these  pests.  It  is  too  well  known  to  re- 
quire a  description.  The  moth  is  probably  not  so  familiar, 
and  I  give  the  description  given  it  by  Dr.  Fitch,  in  the  New 
York  Agricultural  Report,  1859 :  "  A  small  moth,  having 
some  resemblance  to  a  wasp,  its  wings  being  clear  and 


CUREANT.  199 

glossy,  the  fore  pair  opaque,  yellowish  at  the  tips,  with  a 
black  margin  and  band  near  the  middle,  and  the  abdomen 
black,  with  three  yellow  bands  situated  one  upon  each 
alternate  segment ;  width  0.65  to  0.85." 

;  Troehilium  caudatum. — Harris. — This  species  infests 
tour  native  wild  Currant,  (Ribes  floridum^)  and  it  resem- 
bles somewhat  the  European  species. 

To  destroy  these  borers,  the  plants  should  be  examined 
every  fall  or  during  winter,  and  every  shoot  that  has  a 
borer  in  it  will  usually  be  of  a  brown  color,  or  slightly 
wilted ;  sometimes,  when  the  shoots  are  very  vigorous,  no 
difference  can  be  observed,  but  by  close  inspection  the 
small  hole  where  the  worm  entered  can  be  found.  All 
shoots  containing  worms  should  be  cut  out,  and  the  worm 
destroyed.  In  this  way  they  may  be  checked,  if  not  en- 
tirely eradicated. 

In  making  cuttings,  the  same  care  should  be  given,  and 
every  hollow  stem  examined  for  borers,  and  if  found,  de- 
stroyed. 

VARIETIES. 

t. 

NATIVE     SPECIES. 

American  Black. — Ribes  floridum. — Fruit  medium, 
roundish-ovoid,  black ;  clusters  small,  tapering.  Seldom 
cultivated,  but  worthy  of  it,  if  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  produce  new  varieties,  as  it  is  naturally  a  better  flavored 
fruit  than  the  European  Black  Currant. 

Deserct,  —  Ribes  aureum. — Fruit  very  large,  round, 
black  or  dark  violet,  witli  a  slight  bloom,  sub-acid  and 
agreeable  flavor;  flowers  yellow;  a  strong  and  rapid 
grower,  and  very  productive  when  the  plant  attains  its 
full  growth.  A  variety  of  the  Missouri  Currant  (Ribes 
aureum).  It  is  highly  valued  by  the  Mormons  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  from  whence  I  received  it  a  few  years  since.  This 


200  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTTJRIST. 

should  become  the  parent  of  a  new  and  valuable  class  of 


Fig.  84.— LEAF  OF   DESERET. 

Currants,  as  it  possesses  many  good  qualities  and  few 
defects.  Figure  84  shows  a  leaf  of  this  variety. 

Golden. — Large,  round,  deep  golden-yellow,  very  acid, 
and  slightly  bitter;  flowers  yellow.  Of  no  value  for  its 
fruit,  but  might  be  improved.  Native  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  a  variety  of  It.  aureum. 

Missouri  Black,— Very  large,  jet  black,  hard,  dry,  and 


CURRANT. 


201 


bitter;  of  no  value,  except  as  an  ornamental  shrub; 
flowers  yellow,  fragrant.  There  is  another  resembling 
this,  except  that  the  fruit  is  edible,  but  not  very  good. 
All  the  varieties  of  the  R.  aureum  have  deeply  lobed 


Fig.   85.— LEAF  OF  RISES  SANGtlUJTEUM. 

leaves,  while  the  R.  sangidneum,  (Red  Flowering  Cur- 
rant,) which  is  found  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  ha? 
leaves  of  the  form  shown  in  figure  85. 

Sweet  Fruited  Missouri, — Large,  black,  roundish-ovoid  ; 
bunches  small,  containing  few  berries ;  sweet,  musky  fla- 
vor. A  variety  of  R.  floridum,  and  not  of  the  R. 
aureum,  as  its  name  would  indicate.  It  is  a  very  slight 
improvement  upon  the  common  wild  Black  Currant, 
which  may  be  found  in  almost  any  low,  moist  woods. 


202  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

The  Mormons  claim  to  have  several  valuable  varieties  na- 
tive of  the  Salt  Lake  region,  but  whether  they  will  prove 
valuable  or  worthy  of  being  extensively  cultivated  is  very 
uncertain.  There  is  one  thing  quite  certain,  and  that  is 
that  we  have  native  species  that  possess  qualities  equal,  if 
not  superior,  to  those  found  in  any  other  country,  and 
equally  susceptible  of  improvement. 

FOREIGN     VARIETIES. 

Before  proceeding  to  describe  the  different  kinds,  I  wiL 
give  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  difficulties  that  I  have  met  in 
endeavoring  to  ascertain  which  were  distinct  varieties. 

It  is  well  known  that  plants  of  similar  kinds  often  be- 
come intermingled  through  the  carelessness  of  workmen. 
Sometimes  packages  will  become  broken  while  being 
transported  from  one  portion  of  the  country  to  another, 
and  several  kinds  become  mixed  together.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  mixed  varieties  become  very  common  from 
accidental  causes. 

About  ten  years  ago,  I  commenced  collecting  the  vari- 
ous kinds  of  Currants  with  the  express  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining their  true  merits,  and  to  determine  which  were 
really  distinct  varieties. 

To  do  this  has  cost  me  infinitely  more  labor  and 
money  than  I  shall  be  likely  to  receive  from  the  proceeds 
of  this  volume,  and  still  I  fear  that  the  results  will  be  less 
satisfactory  to  the  public  than  any  other  portion  of  the 
work. 

I  have  not  depended  upon  varieties  obtained  from  any 
one  source,  either  in  Europe  or  America,  but  have  gath- 
ered them  from  the  best  nurseries  of  France,  Prussia, 
Germany,  England,  Ireland,  and  the  United  States. 

In  the  prosecution  of  my  labors  and  researches,  I  have 
had  the  good  fortune  to  be  able  to  avail  myself  of  the  in- 
valuable experience  and  extensive  collection  of  Mr.  Chas. 
Downing.  His  experience  extends  over  a  period  of  more 


CUKKANT. 


203 


than  forty  years,  and  when,  a  few  years  since,  I  informed 
him  of  my  purpose  of  writing  this  book,  and  requested 
his  assistance  particularly  upon  the  Currant  and  Rasp- 
berry, he  cheerfully  took  hold  of  the  work,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  his  then  very  complete  collection,  he  sent  to  the 
different  growers  of  Europe  and  of  this  country  for  speci- 
mens of  all  the  new,  as  well  as  old  varieties.  Not  depend- 
ing upon  one  importation,  he  has  obtained  a  new  set  almost 
every  year,  and  by  keeping  them  separate,  we  have  had 
an  opportunity  of  determining  which  were  really  distinct 
varieties.  For  the  past  three  seasons  we  have  met,  at  the 
time  the  fruit  was  ripe,  and  gone  over  the  entire  collec- 
tion, carefully  comparing  them,  and  the  following  list  is 
the  result : 


Fig.  86. — LEAF   OP  ATTRACTOR. 

Attractor, — Large,   yellowish- white  ;    bunch  medium, 
loose.     A  slow  grower,  but  quite  productive.     Not  equal 


204 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 


to  the  White  Dutch  in  flavor.  The  leaves  are  small  and 
deeply  lobed  or  toothed,  as  shown  in  figure  86.  From 
France. 

Buist's  Long- Bunched  Red, — Large,  deep  red,  of  similar 
flavor  as  the  Red  Dutch ;  leaves  large  and  very  thick  ; 
<x  serrattires     sharp  -  pointed ;      a 

strong  and  vigorous  grower,  and 
very     productive.       Originated 
with  Iv.  Buist,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Champagne.  (Pheasant's  Eye, 


HERRY   CURRANT. 


Grossellier  a  Fruit  couleur  de  chair.} — Large,  pale  pink 
or  flesh  color,  quite  acid,  and  not  rich  flavored  ;  bunches 
medium,  loose,  slightly  tapering;  vigorous  and  produc- 
tive. Much  admired  for  the  pretty  appearance  of  its 
fruit.  Ripens  late. 

Cherry,  (Imperial  Rouge,  or  Red  Imperial,  Large  Red 
Anger  s,  La  Caucase,  Fertile  $  Angers  of  Leroy,  Irish 
Grape,  Macrocarpci,  Napoleon  JRec7.) — Very  large,  dark 


CURTCAXT.  205 

red,  acid,  not  rich,  only  second  rate ;  bunch  variable,  from 
short  to  quite  long,  scarcely  tapering,  figure  87,  and  figure 
88  showing  the  variations  on  the  same  plant;  leaves  large, 
deep  green,  bluntly  lobed,  thick  and  tough  ;  very  distinct 
from  the  Red  Dutch  and  its  varieties.  Plant  a  coarse 
grower,  the  young  shoots  being  very  strong  and  stocky  ; 
very  productive,  but  the  old  branches  becoming  naked, 
often  produce  two  or  three  crops.  The  largest  Red  Cur- 
rant in  cultivation,  and  commands  the  highest  price  in 
market.  Some  of  the  varieties  placed  as  synonyms  of 
the  Cherry  were  probably  raised  from  seed,  but  as  I  have 
not  been  able  to  discover  wherein  they  differ,  I  think  it 
folly  to  call  them  by  different  names. 

Versailles. — Very  large;  bunch,  long,  and  slightly 
tapering ;  dark  red,  acid,  and  by  many  it  is  considered  to 
be  a  better  flavored  variety  than  the  Cherry,  but  by  others 
very  similar,  if  not  identical. 

The  principal  points  of  distinction  claimed  are,  that  the 
Versailles  is  not  so  acid  as  the  Cherry,  and  that  the  bunches 
are  more  tapering.  But  like  variations  may  be  observed  in 
other  well  known  varieties,  and  upon  plants  growing  in 
close  proximity.  At  one  time,  I  thought  that  there  was 
a  difference  in  the  growth  and  foliage  of  the  two  kinds, 
but  more  experience  has  not  confirmed  me  in  this  opinion. 

Although  I  am  not  ready  to  say  positively  that  there  is 
no  distinct  variety  to  which  the  name  of  Versailles  be- 
longs, still  I  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  obtain  one  in 
which  really  distinct  and  permanent  variations  can  be  dis^ 
covered.  I  shall  continue,  as  heretofore,  to  keep  all  ths 
different  importations  of  my  own,  as  well  as  those  of  Mr. 
Downing,  separate  and  distinct,  and  shall  be  most  happy 
to  receive  any  information  from  other  growers  which  shall 
enable  me  to  decide  this  very  perplexing  question. 

Dana's  White, — A  new  variety  from  Massachusetts. 
Not  fully  tested.  Said  to  be  large  and  excellent.  I  have 


20G 


SMALL   FRUIT   CTJLTURIST. 


been  exceedingly  unfortunate  in  procuring  this  variety, 
having  purchased,  from  what  I  supposed  to  be  a  reliable 
source,  five  distinct  varieties  under  the  name  of  Dana's 
White. 

Fertile  de  Palluau. — Large,  and  of  same  color  as  Red 
Dutch,  but  not  so  juicy  or  good. 
A  strong  and  vigorous  grower,  and 
very  productive.  The  leaves  re- 
semble the  Red  Dutch,  but  are 
larger.  Figure  89. 

Gondoilin  Red.  -  -  Berry  and 
bunch  medium  size  ;  fruit  light  red, 
of  rather  poor  flavor ;  foliage  large, 
coarse,  light  green  ;  serratures  of 
leaf  sharp,  coarsely  veined,  upper 
surface  slightly  wavy.  A  very  vig- 
orous grower,  and  may  prove  to 
be  the  Red  Provence. 

ii  on  do  u  in  White,— I  have  been 
unable  to  obtain  a  distinct  variety 
under  this  name,  White  Grape  be- 
ing the  one  usually  received. 

Gloire  dcs  Sablons, — Fruit  and 
bunch  small,  white,  distinctly  strip- 
ed with  red,  acid,  poor  flavor;  of 
no  value,  except  as  a  curiosity; 
plant  a  strong,  upright  and  vigor- 
ous grower,  not  very  productive. 

Gros  Rouge  d'Angers.  (Large 
Red  Angers.) — See  Cherry. 

Holland  Long  Grape. — The  one 
received  from  L.  Leroy,  of  France,  is  the  Victoria,  and 
one  from  Andre  Leroy,  the  Red  Provence. 

Imperial  Yellow.    (Imperial  Jaune,  White  Imperial) 
—Identical  with  the  White  Grape,  with  perhaps  a  slight 


Fig.  89.— FERTILE  DE 
PALLUAU. 


CUEKAXT.  207 

difference  in  the  growth  of  the  plant.     It  appears  to  be  a 
more  stocky  and  upright  grower,  at  least  while  young. 

Imperial  Rouge. — See  Cherry  Currant. 

Knight's  Large  Rfcd, — Very  similar  to,  if  not  identical 

with>the  Red  Dutch. 

Knight's  Early  Hied, — Same  as  the  last,  and  no  earlier. 

Knight's  Sweet  Sled, — Large,  very  dark  red ;  bunch 
long,  tapering;  similar  in  quality  to  the  Red  Dutch,  but 
apparently  not  quite  so  acid ;  growth  vigorous,  upright ; 
leaves  dark  green,  of  medium  size,  thick  anji  coarsely  ser- 
rate. The  general  appearance  of  the  plant  distinct  from 
the  Red  Dutch.  Moderately  productive.  This  may  have 
been  received  under  the  wrong  name,  and  perhaps  it  is 
the  Knight's  Large  Red,  which,  Rivers  says,  is  a  valuable 
variety. 

La  Hatiye,  (La  Hatwe  de  Bertin,  La  Fertile.) — I  am 
not  certain  which  of  the  above  names  should  be  placed 
first,  although  the  varieties  received  under  each  have  all 
proved  to  be  the  same.  Evidently  nearly  related  to  the 
Cherry  Currant,  as  the  general  appearance  of  the  plant 
resembles  it  very  much,  but  of  a  less  vigorous  growth. 
Color  of  fruit  and  form  of  bunch  same  as  Cherry,  but 
only  about  two-thirds  the  size ;  ripens  a  few  days  earlier, 
and  is  not  quite  so  acid,  yet  too  much  so  to  be  called  good ; 
productive. 

Prince  Alhert, — Large,  light  red,  sometimes  slightly 
striped  with  dark  red;  bunch  medium,  tapering;  rather 
acid,  firm,  of  inferior  quality,  moderately  vigorous,  up- 
right ;  leaves  small ;  lobes  long,  pointed,  sharply  serrate 
very  productive. 

Red  Dutch,  (Large  Red  Dutch,  New  Red  Dutch,  Long 
Bunched  Red,  Morgan? s  Red,  G-rossellier  Rouge  a  Grosse 
Fruit.) — Large,  deep  red;  bunches  long,  tapering,  rich, 
juicy,  good.  One  of  the  best.  A  vigorous,  erect  grower, 
and  very  productive.  Well  known. 


208 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 


Red  Grape. — Large,  dark  red ;  bunch  compact,  long, 
slightly  tapering;  foliage  medium,  not  shining,  as  with 
Red  Dutch ;  moderately  vigorous,  and  of  a  rather  stocky 
growth. 

Red  Provence. — Small,  dark  red ;  bunches  long;  very 
acid,  liable  to  rot  before  ripening, 
qufte  late,  altogether  inferior ;  the 
young   shoots   red.      A  very  ram- 
pant, coarse  grower. 

Striped  Fruited.  ( Grosse  Weiss- 
und  Rothgestreifte  JoJiannisbeere.} 
— An  old  variety,  with  fruit  same  as 
Gloire  des  Sablons,  but  the  plant 
a  short,  stocky  grower ;  the  termi- 
nal buds  on  the  young  shoots  quite 
conspicuous.  Of  no  value. 

Transparent  White.  — Claimed 
to  be  a  seedling  of  White  Grape, 
but,  if  so,  it  has  assumed  all  the 
characteristics  of  its  parent,  and  I 
am  unable  to  see  any  difference. 

Versailles, — See  page  205. 

Victoria,  —  (May's  Victoria, 
Houghion  Castle,  Raby  Castle, 
Goliath,  Wilmotfs  Red  Grape,  and 
Red  Grape  of  some  nurseries.) — 
Large,  light,  bright  red ;  buncli 
(figure  90)  very  long,  often  six  or 
seven  inches,  tapering ;  '  sprightly 
acid,  good  flavor ;  leaves  medium, 
rather  thin ;  lobes  long ;  serratures 
rounded,  or  with  a  short  point ; 
young  branches  rather  slender,  although  rigorous,  spread- 
ing ;  very  productive.  A  valuable  variety  for  homo  use. 


Fig.  90. — VICTORIA. 


CURRANT. 


209 


White  Grape,  (White  Antwerp,  White  Transparent.} 
— Large,  yellowish-white,  transparent  \  bunch  medium, 
slightly  tapering  (fig.  91f;  juicy, 
sweet,  rich;  the  best  White 
Currant;  moderately  vigorous, 
slender,  spreading  habit ;  leaves 
medium  size,  sharply  serrate, 
with  a  grayish  green  color,  not 
shining ;  very  productive. 

White  Dutch.  (  White  Clin- 
ton, New  White  Dutch,  Clarke's 
/Sweet.  White  Crystal,  Jteeves* 
White,  Morgan's  White,  White 
Leghorn,  White  Transparent, 
White  Holland,  White  Pearl) 
— Large,  yellowish-white,  but 
quite  transparent;  bunches  a 
little  shorter  than  the  Red  Dutch, 
and  berries  larger,  sweet,  rich 
and  good ;  .a  vigorous,  upright 
grower,  and  very  productive. 

White  Provence,  —  Very 
large,  yellowish-white ;  bunch 
rather  short,  tapering.  About  Fig.  QI.-WHITE  GRAPE. 
the  same  in  quality  as  the  White  Dutch,  but  not  quite 
equal  to  White  Grape.  The  most  vigorous  of  all  the 
White  varieties,  evidently  of  the  White  Dutch  class. 
Leaves  large,  thick,  more  or  less  edged  with  white,  as 
shown  in  figure  92 ;  productive,  but  not  equally  so  with 
the  White  Grape. 

BLACK      CURRANTS. 

(Hibes  nigrum.) 

Black   English,     ( Common  Black,  Bang-up    Black^ 
Cassis  a  fruit  noir.) — Large,  black,  but  few  in  a  cluster. 


210  SMALL  FRUIT  CULTUEIST. 

Well  known,  and  but  little  cultivated  at  the  present  time, 
having  been  superseded  by  the  following : 

Black  Naples.  ( Cassis  Royal  of  Naples.) — Very  large, 
often  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  black,  sweet, 
but  of  musky  flavor ;  clusters  are  medium,  tapering,«loose ; 


v —  ;^ 


Fig.  92. — LEAF   OP   WHITE  PROVENCE. 

very  vigorous  grower,  and  productive,  when  the  plants 
have  attained  considerable  age  and  size ;  leaves,  stems  and 
fruit  have  a  rank  and  musky  scent,  which  is  very  disa- 
greeable to  many,  but  to  others  delightful. 

Black    Grape,     (Ogderfs  Black  Grape.) — Fruit  same 


CURBAOT.  211 

as  Black  Naples,  but  the  bush  is  more  stocky,  and  not  so 
tall  a  grower.  A  marked  difference  may  be  observed  in 
the  hight  of  the  plants  when  growing  in  adjoining  rows. 

Brown  Fruited,  (Green  Fruited^  Russian  Green.) — 
A  variety  of  the  Black  Englisb,  with  greenish-brown 
fruit;  berries  hard,  dry,  and  rank  flavored.  Not  worth 
cultivating. 

There  are  several  new  varieties  lately  introduced  from 
France,  but  they  have  not  been  sufficiently  tested  in  this 
country  to  determine  whether  they  possess  any  superior 
merits,  or  are  different  from  those  we  have  already  tested. 

PROFITS    OF    CULTURE,    USES,    &c. 

Currants  are  not,  as  a  general  thing,  consumed  in  as 
large  quantities  as  some  other  kinds  of  our  small  fruits. 
Still  there  is  scarcely  a  garden,  however  small,  in  city  or 
country,  in  which  a  few  Currant  bushes  are  not  cultivated. 

The  extreme  acidity  of  our  more  common  varieties  is 
probably  one  reason  why  larger  quantities  of  them  are  not 
used  in  their  natural  state.  Currant  jelly  is  one  of  the  in- 
dispensable conserves  of  which  no  good  housekeeper  neg- 
lects to  lay  by  a  store  at  the  proper  time,  but  it  has  not 
been  known  as  an  article  of  commerce  until  within  a  very 
recent  period. 

Our  markets,  as  a  general  rule,  have  been  very  well  sup- 
plied, and  often  the  price  obtained  for  Currants  has  been 
far  below  a  profitable  point.  But  of  late  years,  since  our 
great  fruit-preserving  establishments  have  been  started,  the 
demand  has  increased,  and  the  supply  is  falling  behind. 
Here  let  me  mention  a  fact  which,  I  fear,  some  of  our 
fruit  growers,  as  well  as  others,  do  not  fully  understand, 
and  it  may  also  explain  why  the  prices  of  certain  kinds  of 
fruit  appear  to  increase  in  exact  ratio  to  the  supply.  It 
is  this :  When  the  proprietors  of  one  of  these  large  es- 
tablishments can  go  into  market  and  purchase  fifty  thous- 
and baskets  of  Strawberries,  Raspberries,  or  other  similar 


212  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

fruits,  he  can  afford  to  make  a  specialty  of  that  one  kind 
for  one,  two  or  more  days,  engaging  the  entire  apparatus 
and  force  of  his  establishment  upon  it ;  but,  if  only  a  few 
hundred  baskets  can  be  obtained  at  any  one  time,  then  it 
will  not  pay  him  to  attempt  to  preserve  any.  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  we  may  supply  or  glut  a  market  with  a 
few  hundred  baskets  or  pounds  of  a  particular  kind; 
when,  if  the  supply  was  thousands  of  baskets,  or  tons  in- 
stead, there  would  soon  be  a  scarcity.  Just  as  soon  as  it 
is  known  that  any  good  kind  of  fruit  can  be  had  in  abun- 
dance, there  will  be  means  found  for  disposing  of  it,  and 
usually  at  a  better  price  than  when  there  is  a  compara- 
tive scarcity.  Capital  is  usually  drawn  into  channels 
where  it  can  be  employed  continuously  as  well  as  profita- 
bly. Gail  Borden's  process  for  condensing  milk  has  been 
successfully  applied  to  the  juice  of  the  Currant,  and  a 
similar  substance  to  the  common  jelly  manufactured  with- 
out sugar,  and  at  less  than  half  the  cost.  In  the  con- 
densed form,  Currant  juice  may  be  transported  to  any  por- 
tion of  the  globe,  and  become  an  article  of  commerce. 
When  water  is  added,  it  again  becomes  a  liquid — valuable 
for  medicinal  purposes,  as  well  as  a  luxury.  Vessels  start- 
ing upon  long  voyages  would  do  well  to  lay  in  a  supply 
of  this  article,  for  there  are  many  diseases  whicli  are  more 
or  less  prevalent  on  ship-board,  particularly  when  in  tropi- 
cal climates,  in  which  a  free  use  of  Currant  juice  would  be, 
at  least,  beneficial  to  the  patient,  if  not  a  curative. 

The  red  Currants  are  more  generally  used  for  making 
jellies  than  the  white,  but  why,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
tell.  Perhaps  it  is  like  many  other  anomalies  we  observe 
in  market,  the  cause  of  which  can  only  be  attributed  to  a 
more  general  acquaintance  with  the  kind,  or  to  an  attrac- 
tive color.  The  white  Currants,  as  a  class,  are  of  a  richer 
flavor  and  less  acid  than  the  Red. 

The  Black  Currants  are  not  so  acid  as  the  red  and 
white  varieties,  but  their  strong  musky  flavor  is  not,  as  a 


CURKANT.  213 

rule,  agreeable  to  the  American  taste ;  yet,  like  many 
other  fruits  of  strong  flavor,  it  gradually  becomes  less  ob- 
jectionable, until  at  last,  through  familiarity,  a  taste  for  it 
is  acquired^  and  then  it  is  appreciated  and  valued  as  highly 
as  any  other.  Every  year  there  appears  to  be  an  increas- 
ing demand  for  the  Black  Currants,  and  the  time  will  soon 
come,  if  it  has  not  already  arrived,  when  they  will  com- 
mand full  prices  and  be  sold  in  large  quantities.  Currant 
wine  made  from  the  different  kinds  is  a  well  known  article 
but  whether  its  manufacture  should  be  encouraged,  or 
otherwise,  I  will  leave  to  the  temperance  societies  to  de- 
cide. The  price  of  Currants  in  our  eastern  markets  varies 
from  four  to  fifteen  cents  per  pound ;  usually  the  largest 
and  best  varieties  will  bring  ten  cents  at  wholesale.  At 
the  last  named  price,  four  to  six  hundred  dollars  per  acre 
can  be  obtained. 

In  planting  the  common  red  and  white  kinds,  four  feet 
each  way  is  sufficient,  thus  giving  2,722  plants  per  acre. 
If  we  estimate  our  crop  at  two  pounds  per  plant,  which  is 
not  one-half  the  amount  they  should  produce  when  fully 
grown,  we  will  get  5,444  pounds  per  acre,  or  over  two 
tons  and  a  half,  and  at  two  hundred  dollars  per  ton  it 
amounts  to  over  five  hundred  dollars.  Then  we  have  the 
gathering}  shipping,  cultivation,  and  other  incidental  ex- 
penses to  deduct  therefrom.  But  even  then  it  can  be  seen 
that  it  will  be  a  very  profitable  crop.  In  case  of  great 
abundance  the  prices  might  be  somewhat  reduced,  but  by 
good  cultivation  the  crop  may  be  double  the  estimate 
given  above. 

The  Currant  possesses  many  good  qualities  to  recom- 
mend it ;  among  which  are  its  perfect  hardiness,  early  cul- 
ture, great  productiveness,  and  almost  the  certainty  of  a 
full  crop  every  year. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


GOOSEBEBRY, 

NATURAL     FAMILY     GROSSULACE^E. 

[Ribes  Grossularia,  of  Botanists ;  Ribes  Uva  Crispa,  of  Linnaeus ;  Grosseiller,  of 
the  French ;  StacMbeere-strauch,  German  ;  Uva-spina,  Italian ;  Grossetta,  Spanish ; 
Kruisbes,  of  the  Datch.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTER. 

Low,  deciduous  shrubs ;  stems  mostly  bearing  thorns 
at  the  base  of  the  leaf-stalks,  in  some  the  spines  or  prickles 
scattered,  usually  more  abundant  at  the  base  of  the 
stems  than  above ;  leaves  alternate,  palmately  lobed ; 
fruit  a  one-celled  berry,  produced  in  small  clusters,  smooth 
or  prickly. 

SPECIES. 

The  following  are  indigenous  to  the  United  States,  ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Gray  and  Chapman. 

Ribes  Cynosbati.— Wild  Gooseberry. — Leaves  pubes- 
cent; peduncles  slender,  two  to  three  flowered;  spines 
strong ;  berry  large,  armed  with  long  prickles,  like  a  burr, 
rarely  smooth. 

R,  hirtellum. — Smooth.  Gooseberry. — Leaves  somewhat 
pubescent  beneath ;  peduncles  very  short,  one  to  two 


GOOSEBERRY.  215 

flowered ;  stems  either  smooth  or  prickly,  and  with  very 
short  thorns.  Common  in  all  the  Northern  States.  The 
well  known  Houghton's  Seedling,  of  the  nurseries,  belongs 
to  this  species. 

R,  rotund ifolium. — Leaves  nearly  smooth,  rounded,  with 
very  short  and  blunt  lobes;  peduncles  slender,  one,  to 
three  flowered  ;  fruit  smooth,  pleasant  flavored. 

R.  lacustre. — Swamp  Gooseberry. — Young  stems  with 
bristly  prickles  and  weak  thorns ;  leaves  heart-shaped, 
three  to  five-pointed,  with  lobes  deeply  cut ;  fruit  bristly. 
Cold  woods  and  swamps  from  New  England  to  the  West 
and  northward. 

R.  gracile. — Axillary  spine  very  short;  leaves  on  a 
slender  petiole,  pubescent  on  both  sides ;  the  lobes  acute, 
incised  and  acutely  toothed  ;  peduncles  long,  one  to  two 
flowered.  Mountains  of  Tennessee ;  (Chapman  in  Flora 
of  the  Southern  States.) 

There  are  several  other  species,  or  those  described  as 
such,  but  as  we  have  no  cultivated  varieties  of  them,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  give  a  full  description.  The  following 
are  but  a  portion  of  those  known : 

R.  oxycanthoides. — Native  of  Canada  and  Newfound- 
land, and  to  the  northward. 

R,  divaricatum* — Branches  divaricate,  bristly  or  naked ; 
berries  black,  smooth.  Native  of  Northwest  coast  of 
America. 

R.  microphyllum. — Small  Leaved  Gooseberry. — Native 
of  the  mountains  of  Mexico.  Flowers  red. 

R.  cuneifolium. — Berry  pale  red,  resembles  the  JR.  Vva 
Crispa.  Native  of  Peru,  on  the  Andes. 

FOREIGN    SPECIES. 

R,  Grossulariat  ( Uva  Crispa,  L.) — Leaves  three  to 
five-lobed,  rather  villous;  prickles  two  or  three  under 
each  bud  ;  branches  otherwise  smooth,  spreading  or  erect ; 


216  SMALL   FRUIT   CTJLTUEIST. 

berries  smooth  or  covered  with  prickles,  red,  green  or  yel- 
low. Native  of  the  whole  of  Northern  Europe,  and  in 
the  woods  of  Britain.  This  species  is  the  parent  of  all 
the  noted  varieties  of  the  English  gardens. 

Other  species  are  known,  but  not  possessing  merits 
superior  to  the  above,  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  im- 
prove them.  The  native  species  of  America  are  really 
superior  to  the  R.  Grossularia  in  its  normal  state.  But  in 
England  great  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  this  fruit,  consequently  varieties  of 
great  size,  beauty  and  excellence  have  been  the  result. 

HISTORY. 

The  Gooseberry  has  no  separate  history  from  the  Cur- 
rant. It  was,  as  we  have  before  stated,  not  known  as  a 
cultivated  fruit  until  within  the  last  two  or  three  hundred 
years.  Parkinson,  in  1640,  mentions  eight  varieties,  but 
the  varieties  increased  so  rapidly  in  the  next  hundred 
years,  that  Miller,  in  1731,  said  that  it  was  needless  to  un- 
dertake to  enumerate  them. 

If  this  was  true  in  the  days  of  Miller,  it  is  certainly  so 
at  the  present  time,  because  varieties  have  been  constantly 
increasing  ever  since,  until  some  of  the  English  nursery- 
men enumerate  three  hundred  kinds  in  their  catalogues. 

In  this  country  very  little  attention  has  been  paid  to 
the  Gooseberry,  and  the  list  of  kinds  grown  from  native 
species  is  very  small,  which  is  very  much  to  be  regretted, 
inasmuch  as  the  European  sorts  do  not,  as  a  general  thing, 
succeed  in  America. 

PROPAGATION. 

The  same  methods  recommended  for  the  Currant,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  are  equally  applicable  to  the 
Gooseberry. 


GOOSEBEBRY.  217 

As  a  general  thing,  it  does  not  ripen  its  wood  so  early 
in  the  season  as  the  Currant,  and  the  planting  of  the  cut- 
tings may  be  deferred  until  spring. 

They  are,  however,  more  certain,  if  made  in  the  fall  after 
the  leaves  have  fallen,  or  when  the  young  wood  is  fully 
mature,  than  if  the  operation  is  deferred  until  spring. 

The  cuttings  may  be  buried  either  in  the  open  ground 
or  cellar,  being  careful  not  to  allow  them  to  become  dry 
and  shrivelled  or  too  wet.  Growing  from  seed  cannot  be 
too  highly  recommended  at  the  present  time,  because  we 
are  in  great  want  of  varieties  suited  to  our  climate,  and  it 
is  scarcely  to  be  expected  that  we  shall  obtain  them  in 
any  other  way  than  by  growing  seedlings  from  our  native 
species. 

We  have  plenty  of  varieties  which  were  produced  from 
the  seeds  of  foreign  kinds,  but  they  are  neither  superior 
in  quality  or  size,  nor  any  better  suited  to  our  climate 
than  the  originals. 

Native  varieties  from  native  species  is  the  field  in  which 
to  labor  for  making  permanent  progress,  and  the  general 
success  of  the  few  varieties  that  have  been  produced,  shows 
the  truth  of  this  assertion. 

PRUNING    AND    TRAINING. 

The  single  stem  system  is  probably  the  best  one  for 
training  the  Gooseberry.  The  fruit  is  produced  on  short 
8pur,s  on  the  two  and  three  years  old  wood,  as  well  as  on 
that  of  the  preceding  year,  and  the  directions  given  for  the 
Currant  are  applicable  to  the  Gooseberry.  If  but  little 
fruit  is  desired,  and  that  of  large  size,  then  prune  close,  and 
leave  but  few  branches,  and  the  opposite  course  may  be 
followed  for  a  large  crop.  The  Gooseberry  should  be  train- 
ed with  a  very  open  head,  more  so  than  the  Currant,  be- 
cause if  the  air  does  not  have  free  access  to  every  portion 
of  the  plant,  mildew  is  almost  certain  to  destroy  not  only 
the  fruit,  but  the  inside  branches,  if  not  the  whole  plant. 
10 


218  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

A  proper  distribution  of  the  branches  should  be  observ- 
ed, and  be  so  arranged  that  they  shall  be  at  regular  dis- 
tances from  each  other.  Then  all  little  side  shoots,  that 
may  appear  in  summer,  should  be  pruned  off.  The  young 
shoots  should  be  annually  shortened,  but  to  what  extent 
will  depend  somewhat  upon  the  amount  of  growth  the 
plants  have  made,  as  well  as  upon  the  quantity  and  quality 
of  fruit  desired.  Summer  pruning,  except  to  take  out 
small  weak  shoots  or  to  check  the  rampant  growth  of  a 
particular  branch  which  is  attracting  too  much  of  the 
strength  of  the  plant,  is  not  beneficial,  inasmuch  as  it  of- 
ten causes  young,  weak,  lateral  shoots  to  be  produced, 
which  often  fail  to  come  to  maturity. 

The  Gooseberry  may  be  trained  as  espaliers,  or  with  a 
single  stem  and  side  spurs,  or  in  almost  any  manner  that; 
one's  fancy  may  suggest. 

The  regular  annual  pruning  may  be  performed  at  any 
time  after  the  wood  is  fully  matured  in  the  fall,  until  the 
buds  swell  in  the  spring. 

SOIL    AND    CULTURE. 

The  Gooseberry  likes  a  good,  deep,  moist  soil,  but  one 
that  is  not  really  wet.  A  rich  soil  is  also  essential,  be- 
cause it  is  only  by  keeping  up  a  vigorous  growth  that 
large  fruit  and  abundant  crops  can  be  secured.  An  open, 
airy  situation  is  better  than  one  that  is  confined,  and  in 
many  sections  of  the  country  the  north  side  of  a  hill 
would  be  far  preferable  to  a  southern  exposure.  The  ex- 
treme heat  of  our  summer  has  been  the  greatest  impedi- 
ment to  the  successful  cultivation  of  the  English  Goose- 
berries, and  to  counteract  this,  the  coolest  available  situa- 
tion should  be  selected.  Also,  in  enriching  the  ground, 
use  no  fermenting  manure ;  apply  none  but  that  which  is 
old  and  well  rotted.  Cow  manure  is  far  better  than  horse 
manure,  particularly  on  light,  warm  soils.  Mulching  the 
plants  in  summer  is  very  beneficial,  and  if  tan  bark  or 


GOOSEBEEKY.  219 

spent  hops  from  a  brewery  can  be  obtained,  they  should 
be  used  in  preference  to  hay  or  straw.  Good  culture  is 
required  to  produce  good  crops,  the  same  as  with  other 
fruits. 

MILDEW. — This  is  the  one  great  enemy  to  the  Goose- 
berry in  the  United  States.  It  not  only  attacks  the  fruit, 
but  often  extends  over  the  whole  plant,  effectually  check- 
ing its  growth. 

So  prevalent  has  this  disease  become,  that  the  foreign 
varieties  are  almost  universally  discarded,  as  there  are  few 
locations  where  they  will  succeed. 

There  are  many  remedies  which  have  been  from  time 
to  time  recommended,  and  they  often  appear  to  be  effectual, 
while  in  other  instances  they  are  of  no  use  whatever. 

The  following  remedies  against  mildew  are  worth  try- 
ing, although  they  cannot  be  called  radical  cures  : 

Scatter  flour  of  sulphur  over  the  bushes  soon  after 
the  berries  have  set,  and  repeat  the  application  occasion- 
ally until  the  fruit  is  ripe. 

Water  the  plants  with  strong  soap-suds,  or  dissolve  one 
pound  of  potash  in  a  barrel  of  water,  and  then  sprinkle 
the  plants  once  a  week  with  it. 

Soak  fresh  mown  or  dry  hay  in  brine  for  twelve  hours ; 
then  cover  the  entire  surface  of  the  soil  about  the  plants 
with  this,  as  a  mulch.  If  hops,  tan  bark,  or  other  mulch 
has  previously  been  applied,  then  sprinkle  it  with  salt ;  a 
single  handful  to  each  plant  will  be  sufficient. 

All  of  these  remedies  will  often  fail,  but  still  they  are 
worth  trying.  Old  plants  are  more  liable  to  suffer  from 
mildew  than  young  ones,  therefore  it  is  best  to  keep  a 
supply  of  fresh  plants  always  on  hand;  in  fact,  so  long  as 
you  can  keep  the  plant  growing  vigorously,  there  is  but 
little  danger  from  mildew. 

I  have  often  seen  the  foreign  varieties  doing  splendidly 
in  a  half  shady  situation,  such  as  the  north  side  of  a  wall 
or  fence,  or  in  the  shade  of  trees ;  but  such  a  situation 


220  feMALL   FRUIT   v'.ULTUKIST. 

cannot  be  recommended  as  the  best,  because  mildew  does 
destroy  plants  under  just  such  circumstances.  No  effec- 
tual remedy  can  be  given,  nor  the  best  location  pointed  out, 
because  the  experiences  of  different  cultivators  are  so  con- 
flicting, that  the  one  which  appears  to  be  the  best  in  one 
location,  would  seem  to  be  the  very  poorest  for  another. 
Wherever  the  foreign  kinds  will  grow  without  being  at- 
tacked by  mildew,  they  are  certainly  far  preferable  to  any 
of  our  native  ones;  but  my  own  remedy  against  mildew 
is,  to  cultivate  none  but  the  native  varieties,  for  with  these 
I  have  never  experienced  the  least  trouble,  nor  as  yet  had 
a  berry  affected  by  disease  of  any  kind. 

INSECTS. 

The  Gooseberry  and  Currant  are  so  nearly  related,  that 
many  of  the  injurious  insects  are  common  to  both.  The 
Currant-moth,  (Abraxis,)  is  equally  destructive  to  the 
Gooseberry,  while  the  Currant-borer  seldom,  if  ever,  at- 
tacks it.  Harris,  Fitch,  and  other  entomologists,  describe 
quite  a  number  of  insects  that  are  occasionally  found  upon 
the  Gooseberry,  but  thus  far  their  ravages  in  this  country 
have  not  been  very  extensive.  The  following  are  occa- 
sionally met,  and  if  they  should  become  numerous,  would, 
at  the  same  time,  become  very  injurious: 

Lecanium  Cynosbati.—  Gooseberry  Bark-louse. — 
(Fitch.) — Attacking  the  stalks  of  the  wild  Gooseberry;  a 
hemispheric,  smooth,  shining  resin-brown  reale,  commonly 
freckled  with  dull  yellow  dots,  and  with  a  dull  yellow 
stripe  along  its  middle.  Remedy,  close  pruning,  and  an 
application  of  potash  dissolved  in  water ;  one  pound  to 
eight  gallons  of  water. 

Paeciloptera  pruinosa — Mealy  Flata — (Say.) — A  small 
four-winged  fly,  of  a  dark  bluish  color,  covered  with  a 
mealy  white  powder,  which  attacks  the  leaves  late  in  the 
season,  puncturing  the  leaves  and  young  shoots,  sucking 
the  juices  of  the  plant. 


GOOSEBERRY.  221 

Probably,  dusting  the  plants  with  ashes  or  lime  would 
destroy  them,  or  at  least  prevent  their  attacks. 

Cecidomyia  Grossulariae — Gooseberry  Midge — (Fitch.) 
— "The  berries  turning  red  prematurely  and  becoming 
putrid,  having  in  them  small,  bright  yellow  maggots,  of 
an  oblong-oval  form,  and  slightly  divided  into  segments 
by  fine  impressed  transverse  lines ;  changing  to  pupae  in  the 
berries,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  July  giving  out  a  small 
two-winged  fly,  resembling  a  musquito,  of  beeswax  yellow 
color."  The  berries  should  be  gathered  so  soon  as  they 
show  signs  of  premature  ripening,  and  fed  to  hogs,  or 
otherwise  destroyed. 

Gooseberry-moth. — Mr.  E.  Graves,  Jr.,  of  Ashfield, 
Mass.,  reported  to  the  Country  Gentleman,  in  the  summer 
of  1856,  that  his  Houghton  Gooseberry  was  a  total  failure, 
in  consequence  of  being  attacked  by  a  slender,  greenish 
worm,  about  one-half  inch  long.  Dr.  Fitch  mentioned 
this  insect,  under  the  name  of  a  Gooseberry-moth,  in  his 
Third  Report,  1856,  to  the  N.  Y.  State  Agricultural  Soci- 
ety, but  without  giving  it  a  scientific  name,  as  he  says 
that  he  had  not  as  yet  obtained  it  in  a  perfect  state.  The 
worm  eats  out  the  center  of  the  berry,  leaving  only  a  hol- 
low shell,  attacking  the  fruit  when  about  half  grown. 

Many  other  insects  might  be  added  to  this  list,  but  the 
foregoing  will  be  sufficient  to  show  that  the  Gooseberry 
has  enemies  as  well  as  other  cultivated  fruits. 

PROFITS    OF    CULTUKE. 

There  is  far  less  demand  for  the  Gooseberry  than  almost 
any  other  of  our  small  fruits.  It  is  generally  gathered 
before  it  is  ripe,  and  sold  for  making  pies,  tarts,  etc.,  con- 
sequently, the  demand  for  it  is  not  so  great  as  for  other 
fruits,  which  are  used  for  a  greater  variety  of  purposes. 

In  the  New  York  markets,  the  price  varies  from  one  to 
three,  or  four  dollars  per  bushel.  But  whether  the  de- 


222  SMALL   FRUIT  CTTLTURIST. 

mand  would  warrant  a  very  extended  culture,  is  uncertain, 
at  least.  Each  cultivator  will  have  to  be  his  own  judge  in 
the  matter,  and  if  he  can  be  sure  of  obtaining  two  dollars 
per  bushel,  he  can  make  Gooseberry  culture  profitable,  at 
least  with  the  native  varieties.  Two  to  four  hundred 
bushels  per  acre  can  be  grown  of  these  kinds,  and  the 
cost  of  culture,  gathering,  marketing,  etc.,  ought  not  to 
be  over  fifty  cents  per  bushel.  I  have  grown  the 
Houghton  Seedling,  (which  I  do  not  consider  the  best  or 
most  profitable,)  and  sold  the  fruit  for  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents  per  bushel,  and  believe  it  was  a  profitable  transac- 
tion. 

NATIVE    VARIETIES. 

Cluster.  —  (American  Red,  Dutch  Joe,  Pale  Red,  St. 
Clair,  Roberts'  Sweet  Water,  etc.]  —  Small,  oval,  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  long;  reddish  purple;  sweet, 
juicy,  and  good.  Bush,  a  strong,  slender  grower;  leaves 
light,  bright  green ;  very  productive. 

Cluster  Seedling. — Similar  to  its  parent,  but  slightly 
more  upright  in  growth,  and  the  leaves  of  a  pale  grayish- 
green. 

Downing. — Medium  to  large,  oval,  about  f  of  an  inch 
long ;  greenish-white ;  excellent  flavor.  Plant,  an  upright 
grower ;  leaves  deep  shining  green ;  very  productive ; 
probably  the  best  native  variety. 

Originated  with  Charles  Downing,  New  burgh,  N.  T. 

Hoilghton's  Seedling. — Fruit  small  to  medium,  round- 
ish-oval, pale  red,  sweet,  tender,  and  very  good ;  leaves 
deep  shining  green.  The  young  plants  upright  in  growth, 
but  as  they  become  old  they  assume  a  spreading,  almost 
weeping  habit.  A  vigorous  and  productive  variety,  and 
is  seldom  affected  by  mildew.  Originated  with  Abel 
Houghton,  Lynn,  Mass. 

Mountain  Seedling.  —  Large,  roundish-oval,  pale  red ; 
skin  rather  tough  and  thick,  but  of  fair  quality.  The 


GOOSEBERRY.  228 

largest  of  the  native  varieties ;  often  over  an  inch  in  length. 
Plant  a  coarse,  spreading  grower,  with  very  strong  spines. 
Productive  and  valuable. 

Originated  with  the  Shakers,  at  Lebanon,  Pa. 

FOREIGN    VARIETIES. 

To  attempt  to  give  a  list  of  the  best  foreign  varieties, 
would  be  the  hight  of  folly  on  my  part,  inasmuch  as  there 
is  no  dozen  or  more  sorts  upon  which  any  two  of  the 
most  experienced  English  growers  would  agree. 

The  number  of  really  first  class  varieties  known  in 
England  is  almost  innumerable,  and  a  host  of  new  ones 
are  brought  forward  every  season.  To  give  some  idea  of 
the  attention  which  is  paid  to  the  culture  of  this  fruit  in 
England,  I  will  state  that  the  Annual  Gooseberry  Grow- 
ers' Register,  for  1863,  is  a  volume  of  over  200  pages,  and 
gives  reports  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  Gooseberry 
shows. 

When  the  horticulturists  of  the  United  States  will  sup- 
port as  mnny  exhibitions  for  the  purpose  of  showing  any 
one  or  all  the  small  fruits  combined,  then  we  shall  have 
no  need  of  looking  to  other  countries  for  new  varieties. 

Among  the  old  varieties  which  have  been  known  in  this 
country  for  twenty  to  forty  years,  and  are  still  esteemed 
as  good  as  any,  I  will  name  the  following : 

RED. — Ironmonger,  Warrington,  Red  Champagne,  Red 
Walnut. 

GREEN.  —  Green  Walnut,  Green  Globe,  Green  Gage, 
White  Smith. 

YELLOW. — Golden  Drop,  Sulphur,  Conqueror,  Yellow 
Champagne,  Hunt's,  Tawny,  Royal  Sovereign. 

WHITE.— Large  Crystal,  Royal  George,  White  Dutch, 
White  Walnut. 


224  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUKIST. 

Among  the  very  newest  and  largest  varieties  which 
have  taken  premiums  at  the  great  Gooseberry  shows  in 
England,  I  give  the  following  twelve  as  the  heaviest  nam- 
ed in  this  record : 

RED. — Leicester's  Smoker,  Brotherton's  Foreman,  Pilk- 
inton's  Farmer. 

GREEN.  —  Prophet's  Diadem,  Becket's  Bravo,  Brother- 
ton's  Birchen  Lane. 

YELLOW. — Wilkinson's  Oyster  Girl,  Eardlay's  Hannah. 

WHITE. — Shingler's  Edna,  Miss  Soars,  Walton's  Annie. 

The  heaviest  berry  weighed  29  dwt.  12  grs. ;  and  the 
lightest  16  dwt.  2  grs. 

But  to  produce  berries  of  the  weights  given  requires 
extra  care,  more  than  probably  any  of  our  cultivators 
would  be  likely  to  give  to  the  Gooseberry,  even  if  our 
climate  was  as  suitable  to  its  culture  as  that  of  England. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


CORNELIAN    CHERRY.— (CORNUS.) 
NATURAL   FAMILY   CORNACEJE.— (Dogwood  or  Cornel.) 

[Name  derived  from  Cornu,  a  horn,  alluding  to  the  hardness  of  the  wood.  In 
L'rench,  CornouiOer ;  Dutch,  K&rnoelje ;  German,  Kornd  Kirscte ;  Italian,  Cory- 
m>lo;  Spanish,  Oorngo.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

The  species  constituting  this  genus  are  mainly  deciduous 
shrubs  or  small  trees.  Flowers  small,  inconspicuous,  but 
in  some  species  they  are  surrounded  by  a  large  and  showy 
involucre,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  flower,  as  in  one 
of  our  native  species,  ( Cornus  floridd].  There  is  but  one 
known  species  which  produces  fruit  worthy  of  our  atten- 
tion. 

CornilS  inascula. — Cornelian  Cherry.— Shrubs  growing 
ten  to  twenty  feet  high,  with  smooth  branches;  leaves 
oval,  acuminate,  of  a  dull  green  color;  flowers  small,  yel- 
low, in  clusters,  produced  early  in  spring,  before  the  leaves  ; 
fruit  oblong,  about  one  inch  in  length  and  half  an  inch  in 
diameter ;  color  bright  reddish-scarlet ;  flesh  firm,  slightly 
juicy  when  ripe,  acid,  not  particularly  agreeable  in  its  raw 
state  ;  fruit  ripens  in  September,  but  remains  a  long  time 
on  the  bush,  which  makes  it  exceedingly  ornamental. 
10*  225 


226  SMALL    FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

A  variety  of  this  species  produces  fruit  of  a  bright  yel- 
low color.  The  fruit  is  a  little  larger  than  the  red,  and  not 
quite  so  acid. 

HISTORY. 

The  Cornel,  as  it  is  generally  called  in  our  older  works 
on  gardening,  is  a  native  of  the  South  of  Europe  and 


Fig.  93.— CORNELIAN  CHERRY. 

Eastern  Asia.  It  is  mentioned  by  nearly  all  of  the  ancient 
writers.  Sometimes  the  frnit  is  named,  while  others  praise 
the  quality  of  the  wood,  which  is  very  hard.  That  it  was 
formerly  used  for  arrows  and  javelins,  we  infer  from  the 


COENELlAN   CHERRY.  227 

frequent  allusions  made  to  it  in  connection  with  imple- 
ments of  war.     Homer,  in  the  Odyssey,  Book  XIY,  says  : 

"  His  cornel  spear,  ( 

Ulysses  waved  to  rouse  the  savage  war." 

It  is  also  mentioned  in  a  similar  connection  in  Virgil's 
Georgics. 

Theophrastus  and  Pliny  are  supposed  to  refer  to  it  when 
speaking  of  some  of  the  hard  kinds  of  wood  growing  wild 
in  Italy.  But  these  writers  are  generally  so  vague  in  their 
descriptions,  that  it  is  difficult  to  determine  what  particular 
trees  or  plants  they  were  endeavoring  to  describe. 

Nearly  every  English  author,  from  Tusser,  who,  in  his 
work  written  in  1557,  called  them  Cornel  Plums,  down 
to  the  present  tune,  have  mentioned  the  Cornel.  Some 
eulogize  the  beauty  as  well  as  quality  of  the  fruit,  while 
others  refer  to  it  as  merely  an  ornamental  plant.  The 
name  Mascula  or  Mas  was  given  it  from  the  fact  that 
plants  grown  from  seed  produce  only  staminate  or  male 
flowers  for  the  first  ten  to  fifteen  years ;  afterwards  flowers 
of  both  sexes  appear,  followed  by  fruit.  It  appears  to 
have  derived  the  name  of  Dogwood  from  a  wild  species 
found  in  Britain,  which  bears  a  small  fruit,  not  edible. 
Parkinson  says  this  wild  species  was  called  hounds-tree, 
(dog-berry  tree,)  because  the  fruit  was  not  fit  for  the  dogs  ; 
hence  the  name  Dogwood,  which  has  become  the  common 
name  of  the  whole  genus.  The  Cornelian  Cherry  is  not 
very  plentiful  in  the  United  States,  although  nearly  every 
nurseryman  keeps  the  plants  for  sale.  The  long  time 
which  it  requires  to  bring  seedling  plants  into  bearing,  has 
been  one  reason  why  we  see  so  few  in  private  gardens. 

In  the  older  nurseries  and  gardens  near  our  eastern 
cities,  bearing  plants  are  frequently  seen,  but  they  are  not 
so  common  as  their  merits  deserve. 

The  plants  live  to  a  great  age,  and  there  are  specimens 
in  Europe,  which  are  known  to  have  been  planted  more 
than  two  hundred  years. 


228  SMALL  FBurr  CULTURIST. 

PROPAGATION. 

BY  SEEDS. — Plants  are  more  generally  grown  from  seed 
than  otherwise ;  consequently,  for  reasons  previously  stated, 
they  are  a  long  time  coming  into  bearing.  The  fruit 
should  be  gathered  in  the  fall,  and  the  seeds  separated 
from  the  pulp;  then  mixed  with  earth,  and  buried  where 
they  will  keep  moist,  and  not  be  disturbed  until  the  ensu- 
ing autumn.  They  will  seldom,  if  ever,  germinate  the 
first  season  ;  consequently  there  is  no  use  of  sowing  them 
where  it  is  desirable  to  have  them  grow,  and  be  obliged  to 
cultivate  the  ground  where  there  are  no  plants.  When 
the  seeds  have  remained  one  season  in  the  rot-heap,  (to  use 
a  gardener's  phrase,)  take  them  out  and  sow  in  drills,  plac- 
ing the  seeds  two  or  three  inches  apart,  and  cover  two 
inches  deep.  The  seedlings  produce  a  mass  of  small 
fibrous  roots,  and  can  be  rapidly  transplanted  in  spring  or 
autumn.  If  bearing  plants  are  at  hand,  from  which  buds 
or  grafts  can  be  obtained,  then  it  is  better  to  use  the  seed- 
lings as  stock.  In  this  case,  they  should  be  transplanted 
from  the  seed-beds  into  rows  four  feet  apart,  placing  the 
plants  about  a  foot  apart  in  the  rows.  The  seedlings  will 
usually  be  large  enough  to  work  the  third  year. 

CUTTINGS. — These  should  be  made  of  the  one  year  old 
wood,  and  in  the  same  manner  as  described  in  the  preceding 
chapter  for  the  Barberry.  The  cuttings  do  not  root  very 
freely,  and  to  insure  even  moderate  success,  the  ground 
should  be  kept  very  moist  during  the  early  part  of  the 
season,  or  until  roots  are  produced.  A  deep,  moist  soil  is 
requisite,  and  if  covered  with  mulch,  so  much  the  better. 

LAYERS. — This  is  the  most  common  mode  of  propagat- 
ing from  bearing  plants.  Put  down  the  layers  in  early 
spring,  cutting  them  as  usual  with  woody  plants,  and  they 
will  generally  be  sufficiently  rooted  to  be  removed  from 
the  parent  plant  in  autumn. 

Layers  do  not  usually  make  as  handsome  plants,  as 


CORNELIAN    CHEERY.  229 

lings ;  still  they  are  preferable,  because  they  will  produce 
fruit  when  quite  young. 

BUDDING. — This  operation  should  be  performed,  in  the 
usual  manner,  so  soon  as  good,  well  developed  buds  are  to 
be  obtained  from  the  young  wood  of  the  present  season's 
growth. 

GRAFTING. — This  should  be  done  in  the  spring,  just  be- 
fore the  leaves  start,  and  upon  young  stocks,  such  as  seed- 
lings of  two  to  four  years  old ;  the  whip  or  splice  graft  is 
preferable  to  the  wedge. 

CULTIVATION. 

There  is  no  particular  skill  required  in  cultivating  the 
Cornelian  Cherry,  as  the  plant  is  far  from  being  a  delicate 
one.  It  will  grow  in  almost  any  good,  garden  soil.  In 
England,  it  is  said  to  prefer  a  calcareous  one,  but  the  larg- 
est and  best  plants,  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  are  in  a 
compact  loam,  approaching  a  clay.  An  open,  but  some* 
what  sheltered  situation  is  preferable  on  account  of  the 
plant  blooming  so  very  early ;  the  flowers  are  often  de- 
stroyed by  spring  frosts,  unless  protected,  or  where  there 
is  just  sufficient  circulation  of  air  to  prevent  freezing.  A 
strong,  direct  current  of  air  will  often  blast  the  flowers, 
when  the  same  degree  of  cold  would  not  injure  them  if 
the  air  was  still,  or  only  moved  by  a  gentle  breeze. 

VARIETIES. 

There  are,  it  is  said,  other  edible  varieties  besides  the 
two  which  I  have  named,  but  I  have  no  personal  knowl- 
edge of  their  merits.  There  is  a  variegated  leaved  variety 
which  I  have  cultivated  for  several  years,  but  up  to  the 
present  time  it  has  produced  no  fruit. 

USES. — In  former  times,  when  better  fruit  was  scarce, 
Cornels  were  used  for  various  conserves  and  to  mix  with 


230  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUKIST. 

apples  and  pears  for  making  cider.  It  is  doubtful  if  it 
will  ever  become  a  popular  fruit  with  us,  unless  better 
varieties  that  those  we  now  possess  are  produced.  Its 
beauty,  however,  commends  it  to  the  attention  of  every 
one  who  possesses  a  garden. 

DISEASES  AND  INSECTS. — None,  or  so  few  as  not  to  be 
worth  naming. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


CRANBERRY.— VACCINIUM. 

ERICACEAE,  or  Heath  Family. 

[Vacctnium  Oxycoccus,  an  ancient  Latin  name  of  obscure  derivation.  French 
name  is  ffirette ;  German,  Heidelbeere ;  and  Mooreberrie.  The  Sub-family  name, 
Oxycoccw,  is  derived  fromoms,  sharp  or  acid,  and  kokkus,  a  berry,  in  reference  to 
the  acid  taste  of  the  berries.  The  name  Cranberry  is  supposed  by  some  authors 
to  have  been  given  it  because  the  fruit  stem  is  crooked  like  a  crane's-bill,  while 
others  state  that  it  was  because  cranes  were  fond  of  the  fruit.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

Low,  trailing,  evergreen  shrubs,  with  very  slender 
oranches ;  fruit-bearing  stems  erect ;  flower  bell-shaped, 
white,  or  tinged  with  red ;  berry  usually  four  to  five-cell- 
ed ;  seeds  numerous. 

SPECIES. 

Vaccinium  Oxycoccus,  —  Small  Cranberry.  —  Leaves 
ovate,  acute,  with  revolute  margins;  stems  very  slender; 
berries  very  small,  spotted  when  young,  becoming  red  at 
maturity.  Grows  in  peat  bogs  in  nearly  all  of  the  North- 
ern States,  also  in  Northern  Europe. 

V,  macrocarpon.  —  Common  American  Cranberry. — 
Leaves  oblong,  obtuse,  glaucous  underneath,  with  slightly 
revolute  margins.  Flower-stems  erect ;  fruit  pale  pinkish- 
231 


SMALL   FEUIT   CULTURIST. 

white  to  deep  red,  one  half  to  one  inch  in  diameter ;  varia- 
ble in  shape,  from  globular,  ovoid,  ovate-oblong,  bell- 
shape,  etc. 

V,  erythrocarpon, — Bush  Cranberry. — Leaves  decidu- 
ous, oblong-ovate,  acuminate,  bristly  serrate ;  stems  erect, 
flexible ;  two  to  four  feet  high ;  berry  small,  red,  dry  and 
insipid.  High  mountains  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 

UISTORY. 

The  Cranberry  is  almost  exclusively  a  northern  plant, 
and  was  probably  not  known  to  the  Romans  until  their 
conquests  in  the  North.  In  Northern  Europe  it  has  been 
highly  appreciated  for  centuries,  and  immense  quantities 
are  annually  brought  into  the  English  markets  from  Russia 
and  Sweden,  in  addition  to  those  produced  in  Britain. 
The  American  Cranberry,  V.  macrocarpon,  was  intro- 
duced into  England  in  1760,  and,  although  acknowledged 
to  be  superior  to  the  common  European  species,  still  we 
have  no  accounts  of  its  being  cultivated  there  to  any  con- 
siderable extent. 

The  first  settlers  in  America  found  the  Cranberry  in 
such  abundance  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  cultivat- 
ing it,  until  the  population  became  so  numerous  that  the 
natural  supply  would  not  equal  the  demand.  This  point 
was  reached  about  thirty  years  ago,  at  which  time  nu- 
merous experiments  in  its  cultivation  commenced  at  Cape 
Cod,  and  in  a  few  other  places. 

Previous  to  this  time,  however,  an  occasional  plot  had 
been  cultivated.  Kenrick,  in  the  New  American  Orchard- 
ist,  1832,  says :  Capt.  Henry  Hall,  of  Barnstable,  Mass., 
has  cultivated  the  Cranberry  for  twenty  years.  In  v  the 
New  England  Farmer,  Vol.  IX,  No.  18,  is  an  account  of 
a  Mr.  F.  A.  Hayden,  of  Lincoln,  Mass.,  who,  in  1830,  sold 
from  his  farm  400  bushels  of  Cranberries  for  six  hundred 
dollars.  From  these  and  a  few  other  recorded  instances 


CRAISTBERRY.  233 

of  Cranberry  culture,  we  infer  that  there  were  very  few 
who  attempted  its  cultivation  previous  to  1835  or  1840. 
Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  steady  increase,  until,  at 
the  present  time,  thousands  of  acres  are  devoted  to  the 
culture  of  this  fruit.  Not  only  have  individuals  turned 
their  attention  to  it,  but  companies  have  been  formed 
with  abundant  means  to  cultivate  the  Cranberry  upon  an 
extensive  scale. 

In  addition  to  the  benefit  derived  from  having  our  mar- 
kets supplied  with  the  fruit,  its  culture  is  a  source  of  na- 
tional wealth,  inasmuch  as  the  land  devoted  to  it  was 
previously  uncultivated,  neither  enriching  individuals  by 
its  productions,  nor  yielding  taxes  to  the  State. 

Many  of  our  low,  boggy  wastes,  which  .formerly  were 
sources  of  miasmatic  diseases,  have  been  changed  into 
healthful  locations  and  fruitful  fields. 

PROPAGATION. 

To  propagate  some  of  our  cultivated  fruits  successfully, 
requires  more  or  less  skill,  but  the  Cranberry  may  be  said 
to  propagate  itself.  The  plant,  as  it  creeps  along  over  the 
ground,  throws  out  innumerable  roots,  fixing  every  por- 
tion of  the  prostrate  stems  to  the  soil.  If  these  branches 
do  not  root  as  soon  as  desired,  a  little  earth  thrown  over 
them  will  hasten  the  process. 

The  plants  may  be  taken  up  and  planted  whole,  or  be 
divided  into  small  pieces,  each  of  which  will  soon  become 
a  strong  plant.  Even  the  upright  stems  may  be  used  for 
cuttings,  and  when  planted  in  the  spring,  they  will  become 
rooted  by  the  next  fall. 

The  small  green  tips  of  the  growing  branches  may  be 
taken  off  in  summer,  and  rooted  under  a  bell-glass,  or  in 
ordinary  glazed  frames. 

Cultivators  seldom  have  recourse  to  seeds  for  extending 
their  plantations,  but  they  may  be  planted  for  the  purpose 
of  producing  new  varieties  as  well  as  multiplying  old 


234  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

ones.     The  seeds  should  be  prepared  and  kept  through 

the  winter  in  the  same  manner  as  recommended  for  the 

Huckleberry  in  a  suceeeding  chapter. 

,      Sow  them  in  drills  and  keep  free  of  weeds,  either  by 
'  hoeing  or  mulching  with  saw-dust,  or  tan-bark,  if  grown 

on  dry  soils,  but  if  on  low  grounds,  use  sand  instead. 

Transplant  into  fruiting-beds  when  one  or  two  years  old. 

PREPARATION    OF    SOIL. 

Naturally,  the  common  Cranberry  is  a  semi-aquatic 
plant,  requiring  a  constant  supply  of  water  to  ensure  its 
highest  state  of  perfection.  It  is  usually  found  in  low  peat 
bogs,  where  it  is  often  entirely  submerged  in  the  winter 
months,  and  the  roots  are  in  contact  with  water  during  a 
greater  portion  of  the  year. 

While  this  is  the  condition  in  which  we  usually  find  the 
wild  plants,  yet,  occasionally,  they  are  found  upon  high  and 
dry  soils.  Judging,  however,  from  the  position  in  which 
we  find  the  greatest  quantities,  we  conclude  that  a  wet 
soil  is  the  most  natural  one.  If  we  leave  the  normal  con- 
dition of  the  plant  out  of  the  question,  and  base  our  con- 
clusions entirely  upon  the  results  of  the  many  experiments 
which  have  been  made  in  the  last  thirty  years,  we  find 
that  their  cultivation  in  wet  soils  has  been  attended  with 
the  best  success  and  the  most  remunerative  results.  It  is 
not  to  be  assumed  that  they  cannot  be  grown  upon  soils 
that  are  naturally  dry,  for  we  have  many  instances  of  suc- 
cess under  such  circumstances,  but,  as  a  whole,  the  upland 
cultivation  has  not  been  equally  profitable  with  the  low 
land.  It  is  not  altogether  for  the  purpose  of  supplying 
the  plants  with  moisture  that  abundance  of  water  is  re- 
quired, but  for  other  purposes,  among  which  are  the  fol- 
lowing : 

First. — Covering  the  plants  in  winter,  thereby  affording 
a  protection  from  severe  cold. 


CRANBERRY. 

Second. — Preventing  the  frost  in  spring  from  injuring 
the  flowers. 

Third. — Destroying  the  Cranberry-worms,  which  some- 
times attack  the  plants  and  fruit. 

Assuming  that  these  precautionary  measures  are  neces- 
sary to  the  best  results,  it  follows  that  a  situation  should 
be  selected  where  the  conditions  named  can  be  secured. 

Another  important  material,  used  in  preparing  Cran- 
berry beds,  is  sand,  which  is  spread  over  the  surface  of  the 
soil. 

This  not  only  in  a  great  measure  prevents  the  weeds 
from  growing  until  the  plants  have  entirely  covered  the 
beds,  but  keeps  the  fruit  clean,  besides  making  the  surface 
always  open  and  friable.  Sometimes  the  low  peat  beds 
are  so  rich  in  nutritive  matter,  unless  sand  is  used,  that  the 
vines  would  grow  so  luxuriant  that  they  would  be  unpro- 
ductive. 

In  fact,  very  little  alluvial  soil  is  needed,  and  when  the 
deposit  is  a  foot  in  depth,  it  will  be  fully  equal,  if  not  supe- 
rior, to  a  situation  where  it  is  more  abundant.  In  some 
sections,  they  are  grown  in  what  appears  to  be  almost 
pure  sand,  there  being  scarcely  a  trace  of  nutritive  matter 
to  be  found,  the  water  and  the  materials  held  in  solution 
therein,  furnishing  the  principal  portions  of  food  to  the 
plants. 

The  first  step  in  preparing  a  Cranberry  bed  is  usually 
that  of  digging  a  broad,  deep  ditch  entirely  around  the 
plot,  for  the  purpose  of  draining  off  the  surface  water,  so 
that  the  ground  may  be  cleaned.  If  the  soil  thrown  out 
of  the  ditches  is  sufficiently  compact,  it  may  form  the  em- 
bankments ;  if  not,  then  other  soil  must  be  added.  When 
the  water  has  been  removed,  then  clear  off  all  trees,  logs, 
brush,  and  other  incumbrances ;  these  may  be  burned  on 
the  ground,  and  the  ashes  scattered  over  the  surface,  pro- 
vided it  can  be  done  without  endangering  the  soil.  Some- 
times, when  the  soil  is  very  dry,  there  is  danger  of  its  burn- 


236  SMALL   PEUIT   CULTUKIST. 

ing  to  considerable  depth.  Some  cultivators  remove  all  of 
the  surface  soil  to  the  depth  of  six  inches  or  a  foot,  and,  in 
some  cases,  it  may  be  beneficial  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
the  whole  bed  to  a  lower  grade,  but  where  this  is  not  re- 
quisite, and  sand  is  abundant,  it  is  cheaper  to  spread  on  a 
greater  depth  of  sand  and  leave  the  whole  depth  of  nat- 
ural soil. 

Again,  if  the  peat  is  deep  enough  so  that  a  portion  can 
be  spared,  it  should  be  carted  off  for  manuring  the  adja- 
cent land,  especially  if  it  is  of  a  sandy  nature,  for  there  is 
no  more  valuable  manure,  (barn-yard  excepted,)  than  the 
top  layer  of  these  peat  or  muck  swamps.  It  is  always 
better  to  prepare  the  ground  at  least  one  season  before 
planting,  so  that  all  weeds,  brush,  and  roots,  may  be  thor- 
oughly destroyed;  because  if  it  is  not  done  at  the  start,  it 
will  be  a  difficult  operation  after  the  ground  is  covered 
with  plants. 

Where  the  soil  is  sufficiently  firm  to  admit  of  being 
plowed  and  harrowed,  it  is  best  to  do  so,  as  by  this  means 
a  more  thorough  preparation  can  be  obtained,  and  at  less 
expense  than  when  wholly  performed  by  hand.  When 
the  soil  has  been  made  level,  and  otherwise  prepared,  it 
should  be  covered  with  pure  sand  to  the  depth  of  from 
four  to  eight  inches,  the  depth  being  regulated  by  the 
nature  of  the  soil ;  if  it  is  very  loose,  then  apply  more 
than  when  comparatively  compact,  as  more  or  less  will 
sink  into  the  soil  below. 

A  uniform  depth  is  quite  important,  and  can  easily  be 
obtained,  provided  the  surface  is  made  level  before  its 
application. 

The  position  and  texture  of  the  soil  will  suggest  the  best 
mode  of  application,  whether  by  teams  or  otherwise. 

There  are  many  locations  where  these  peat-beds  are  un- 
derlaid with  sand,  and  if  the  soil  is  not  over  one  or  two 
feet  deep,  and  can  be  sufficiently  drained  to  allow  of  their 
being  conveniently  worked,  they  may  be  trenched,  bring- 


CRANBERRY.  237 

ing  the  required  amount  of  sand  to  the  surface,  instead  of 
hauling  it  from  a  distance.  The  sand  should  be  pure,  and 
not  mixed  with  clay,  loam,  or  other  soil.  All  of  these  cir- 
cumstances should  be  taken  into  consideration  when  select- 
ing a  location  for  Cranberry  plantations. 

Often  one  set  of  embankments,  flood-gates,  etc.,  will  an- 
swer for  several  parties,  if  they  can  agree  and  join  together 
in  the  undertaking.  The  size  of  the  bed  is  immaterial;  it 
may  be  one  acre  or  one  hundred,  provided  it  can  be  made 
level,  so  that  one  portion  shall  not  be  covered  deeper  than 
another,  when  flooded.  The  embankments  should  be  at 
least  four  feet  high  when  first  made,  for  they  will  settle 
some ;  besides,  it  is  best  to  have  them  a  foot  or  more  above 
high  water  mark,  to  guard  against  breaks. 

If  one  is  in  no  hurry  about  planting,  and  is  disposed  to 
wait,  the  embankments  may  be  formed  and  the  ground 
flooded,  and  kept  in  this  condition  until  the  weeds,  bushes, 
etc.,  upon  it,  are  killed,  after  which  the  water  may  be 
withdrawn,  and  the  preparation  of  the  bed  continued  as  be- 
fore directed. 

COST    OF    PREPARING    THE    BEDS. 

There  can  be  no  reliable  estimates  given  as  regards  cost 
of  preparing  Cranberry  beds,  inasmuch  as  no  two  will  be 
situated  exactly  alike.  It  will  cost  as  much  to  remove  the 
brush,  trees,  and  logs,  etc.,  from  one  piece  of  land,  as  to 
fully  prepare  another  for  the  reception  of  the  plants. 

The  estimates  vary  from  one  hundred  to  six  bundled 
dollars  per  acre. 

A  thorough  preparation  will  always  be  found  to  be  the 
cheapest  in  the  end. 

PLANTING. 

The  usual  time  of  setting  the  plants  is  in  the  spring,  but 
where  the  beds  can  be  kept  moist,  the  operation  may  be 
continued  during  the  entire  summer.  Sometimes  the  plants 


238  SMA.LL   FRUIT   CULTUEIST. 

are  put  out  late  in  the  fall,  and  covered  with  a  sufficient 
depth  of  water  to  prevent  the  ground  from  freezing  and 
throwing  out  the  plants.  The  spring  and  early  summer 
are,  however,  considered  the  best  tune  for  planting.  The 
plants  should  be  set  in  rows,  from  eighteen  inches  to  four 
feet  apart,  according  to  the  quantity  and  quality  of  plants 
obtained.  The  object  is  to  cover  the  entire  surface  of  the 
soil  with  vines,  so  soon  as  possible ;  consequently,  the  bet- 
ter the  plants  and  the  nearer  together  they  are  placed,  the 
sooner  will  this  be  accomplished.  When  large  plants  are 
to  be  had,  and  in  sufficient  quantities,  it  is  better  to  place 
them  about  two  feet  apart,  each  way,  than  farther,  and  if 
the  plants  do  well,  they  will  entirely  cover  the  beds  the 
second  season.  Most  of  our  larger  plantations  are  made 
with  plants  taken  directly  from  the  wild  beds,  and  they 
are  removed  in  large  clumps  or  sods.  If  there  are  any 
weeds  or  grass  among  the  plants,  they  should  be  removed 
before  planting,  as  they  are  more  readily  separated  from 
them  at  this  time  than  after  they  are  planted. 

Small  holes  are  made  in  which  the  plants  are  set,  and 
the  soil  is  then  pressed  firmly  about  them.  If  small  plants 
or  cuttings  are  used,  they  may  be  planted  nearer  together 
than  larger  ones. 

SELECTION    OF    PLANTS. 

It  is  important  that  plants  should  be  obtained  from 
fruitful  beds,  as  well  as  those  which  produce  the  largest 
and  best  fruit.  There  are  occasional  wild  beds  that  pro- 
duce little  or  no  fruit;  these  should  be  avoided.  When 
plants  cannot  be  obtained  near  by,  from  wild  or  cultivated 
beds,  then  they  may  be  bought  from  those  whose  business 
is  growing  plants  for  sale.  But  the  purchaser  should  en- 
deavor to  inform  himself  in  regard  to  the  reliability  of 
plant  growers  before  ordering  ;  besides  he  should  give  im- 
perative directions  that  the  plants  should  be  carefully  taken 
up  and  not  be  allowed  to  become  dry  before  packing,  as 


CRANBERRY.  230 

well  as  that  the  latter  operation  should  be  performed  in 
the  best  manner.  A  very  little  extra  expense  in  packing, 
or  in  procuring  plants  of  the  best  quality,  will  often  be  re- 
paid a  hundred  fold  in  the  first  crop.  Cranberry  planta- 
tions are  expected  to  be  a  permanent  investment  which 
shall  give  annual  returns  for  a  lifetime ;  it  therefore  be- 
comes very  important  that  every  precaution  should  be 
taken  to  make  it  as  perfect  as  possible. 

CULTIVATION. 

For  the  first  two  or  three  seasons  the  beds  should  be 
carefully  cultivated,  and  no  weeds  or  sprouts  from  brush- 
roots  be  permitted  to  grow.  The  amount  of  labor  requir- 
ed is  usually  far  less  than  with  ordinary  farm  crops,  still 
a  constant  attention  is  necessary,  so  that  the  plants  shall 
have  the  full  benefit  of  the  entire  soil,  and  not  be  obliged 
to  combat  with  weeds,  grass,  or  other  impediments.  When 
the  plants  have  gained  possession  of  the  whole  surface, 
there  will  be  very  little  cultivation  required.  An  occa- 
sional sprout  or  clump  of  grass  may  appear,  which  it  will 
be  necessary  to  remove. 

APPLYING    WATER. 

The  water  should  be  let  on  to  the  beds  at  the  approach 
of  cold  weather,  not  until  the  ground  begins  to  freeze,  but 
before  it  has  become  frozen  hard.  The  time  will  vary  in 
different  locations,  and  the  cultivator  must  apply  it  ac- 
cording to  circumstances,  and  not  be  guided  by  set  rules 
as  to  time.  The  beds  should  be  covered,  so  that  the  water 
will  be  deep  enough  to  prevent  freezing  the  plants.  At  the 
North,  it  should  be  at  least  two  feet  deep,  while  south  of  tbe 
latitude  of  New  York,  one  foot  will  ordinarily  answer.  It 
should  remain  upon  the  beds  until  the  cold  weather  is  past 
in  the  spring,  when  it  should  be  drawn  off,  leaving  it  about 
two  inches  deep  over  the  surface,  until  all  danger  of  frost 
is  past. 


240  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

Where  late  spring  frosts  are  known  to  be  frequent  and 
severe,  it  is  best  to  keep  on  the  full  depth  of  water  until 
there  is  no  longer  any  risk.  The  longer  the  water  is  kept 
on,  the  later  will  the  plants  bloom. 

In  some  locations  the  plants  are  covered  for  about  four 
or  five  months  in  winter,  while  in  others,  t\vo  or  three  will 
be  sufficient. 

There  is  no  danger  of  the  plants  being  injured  by  the 
water  so  long  as  it  remains  cool,  and  the  later  it.  is  kept 
on,  the  less  the  danger  of  spring  frosts  injuring  the  flowers. 
Sometimes  it  is  beneficial  to  flow  the  beds  in  sum  HUT  at 
time  of  drouth,  but  in  such  cases  it  is  only  necessary  to 
apply  sufficient  to  give  the  soil  a  good  soaking.  If  tin- 
water  is  admitted  into  the  ditches  which  surround  the 
beds,  (if  they  are  not  too  large,)  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
prevent  injury  from  drouth. 

<;  ATIIERING. 

Formerly  the  berries  were  gathered  with  an  instrument 
called  a  Cranberry  rake,  but  of  late  years  this  method  has 
been  almost  entirely  abandoned,  and  hand  picking  has 
taken  its  place.  When  gathered  by  hand,  the  fruit  is  not  apt 
to  be  crushed,  besides  a  far  less  amount  of  dirt  ami  leaves 
are  mixed  with  them  ;  consequently  hand-picked  fruit  will 
bring  a  much  higher  price  than  any  other.  Various  kinds 
of  baskets,  crates,  hurdles,  &c.,  are  used  in  gathering  the 
fruit;  the  main  object  being  to  allow  all  foreign  materials, 
gathered  with  it,  to  fall  through  when  being  carried  in  the 
field,  or  when  spread  out  to  dry.  All  unsound  berries 
should  be  carefully  picked  out  before  the  fruit  is  packed 
for  market. 

VARIETIES. 

Like  other  fruits,  the  Cranberry  varies  considerably  in 
its  wild  state ;  besides,  when  cultivated,  new  variations  are 
constantly  occurring.  All  the  var'u -ties  in  cultivation  at 


CRANBERRY. 


241 


Fi<_r.     4.  —  CM  KIM:  Y 

CKAMSKUUY. 


the  present  time  in  this  country,  belong  to  one  species,  the 
V.  tnacrocarpon.     These  vary  in  size,  from  a  half  inch  up 
to  an  inch  or  over  in  diameter.     Figure  94  shows  a  variety 
usually  called  the  Cherry  Cranberry,  and 
figure  95,  one  of  the  largest  of  the  Bell 
variety.      Figure  96   illustrates  the   Bell 
form,  and  in  figure  97  we  give  an  exnct 
representation  of  some  remarkably  fine 
specimens,  raised  by  Mr.  Orrin  C.  Cook, 
of  South  Milford,  Mass.     There  are  many 
other  shapes  intermediate  between  these, 
but  we  have  given  the  principal  ones. 

In  color,  tiit.  varieties  vary  from  a  greenish-yellow  or 
white  to  dark,  rich  purple.  New  varieties  are  being  pro- 
duced, and,  doubtless,  in  a  few  years,  great  improvements 
will  be  made  in  the  size,  if  not  in  the  quality,  of  the  Cran- 
berry. 

INSECTS. 

There  appear  to  be  two  kinds  of  worms  which  infest 
the  Cranberry.  One  of  these  attacks  the  young  fruit, 
and  the  other  the  plants.  The  first  is  described  as  a  small 


Fig.  95. — BUGLE    CRANBERRY. 

worm  about  half  an  inch  in  length,  with  a  black  head; 
the  other  is  about  the  same  length,  with  a  red  head. 

Although  it  is  said  that  these  worms  are  very  aestruc- 


242 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUB1ST. 


tive  in  some  sections  of  the  country,  there  appears  to  be 
no  definite  information  as  to  their  origin,  period  of  life,  or 
what  kind  of  insect  produces  the   eggs 
>^^       from   which   they  are    hatched.      These 
/  worms  are  more  destructive  in  beds  that 

J[|  are  not  flooded  than  elsewhere.     When- 

4jf  ever  the  plants  and  fruit  are  attacked,  the 

JR  A  water  should  be  let  on  to  the  beds  and 
allowed  to  remain  for  six  to  twenty-four 
hours ;  this  would  doubtless  destroy  the 
worms  without  materially  injuring  the 
plants. 

The  ravages  of  the  Cranberry  worms  have  not  been  very 
extensive,  nor  very  wide  spread,  and,  although  I  have  visit- 
ed many  hundreds  of  acres  of  Cranberry  beds,  I  have  not 
as  yet  seen  one  of  these  worms ;  neither  have  I  been  able 
to  find  a  description  of  them,  or  their  scientific  names,  in 
any  work  on  entomology.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  for  the 


Fig.  96.— BELL 

CRANBERRY. 


Fig.  97. — LARGE   CRANBERRY. 

sake  of  science,  some  one  who  has  an  opportunity  will 
investigate  this  subject,  and  give  us  the  results. 


UPLAND    CULTURE. 


Although  the  cultivation  of  the  Cranberry  upon  dry  up- 
land cannot  be  recommended  as  equal  to  lowland  cultiva- 


CRANBERRY.  243 

tion,  still  it  possesses  so  much  that  is  interesting  and  advan- 
tageous that  it  deserves  the  attention  of  those  who  have 
no  other  means  of  growing  them.  Even  a  partial  success 
will  very  often  be  highly  remunerative,  besides  affording 
much  pleasure  to  the  cultivator. 

There  are  but  few  gardens  or  soils  where  the  experiment 
is  not  worth  trying  on  a  small  scale,  even  if  it  is  not  suc- 
cessful, because  the  expense  is  so  slight  that  a  total  failure 
would  be  no  great  loss  of  capital. 

A  light  sandy  or  loamy  soil,  one  that  is  naturally  moist, 
should  be  selected,  if  convenient,  and  prepared  as  thor- 
oughly as  for  a  vegetable  garden.  If  swamp-mud  or  peat 
can  be  had,  it  is  well  to  give  a  liberal  dressing,  mixing 
it  with  the  soil ;  rake  all  level,  and  then  plant  in  rows 
about  two  feet  apart,  and  one  foot  apart  in  the  rows. 
Hoe  the  plants  as  long  as  it  can  be  conveniently  done 
without  disturbing  them,  after  which  no  cultivation  is  re- 
quired, except  to  pull  out  large  weeds  or  grass  that  may 
occasionally  appear. 

If  saw-dust  can  be  had,  it  should  be  applied  as  a  mulch, 
scattering  a  light  dressing  in  among  the  plants ;  this  will 
keep  the  soil  moist  and  assist  in  keeping  the  weeds  down. 
A  small  plot  of  three  or  four  rods  square  will,  if  they  suc- 
ceed, be  sufficient  to  supply  an  ordinary  family. 

In  addition  to  the  value  of  the  fruit,  the  Cranberry  is 
an  exceedingly  ornamental  plant  at  all  times  of  the  season, 
whether  in  fruit  or  flower.  The  variety  known  as  the  Bell 
Cranberry  is  generally  planted  on  upland,  but  it  is  proba- 
ble that  others,  with  proper  care,  will  succeed  equally  as 
well.  There  are  a  few  cultivators  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  who  grow  all  of  the  improved  varieties  on  upland, 
and  claim  that  they  are  very  successful  with  them. 
Judging  from  the  fruit  that  has  been  shown  by  these  gen- 
tlemen at  our  horticultural  fairs,  the  berries  grow  to  as  large 
a  size,  if  not  in  such  large  quantities,  on  upland  as  upon 
the  low.  By  obtaining  seeds  from  these  upland  beds,  and 


244  SMALL   FKUIT   OULTURIST. 

by  producing  new  varieties  therefrom,  plants  may  be  ob- 
tained that  'will  be  better  adapted  to  dry  soils  than  any 
previously  known.  It  is  certainly  worthy  of  trial,  and  I 
would  advise  all  who  have  leisure  and  inclination  to  try 
the  experiment  fully  and  thoroughly. 

PROFITS    OF    CULTURE. 

The  profits  of  Cranberry  culture,  like  those  from  other 
fruits,  depend  somewhat  upon  the  amount  of  care  given 
the  beds  as  well  as  upon  the  markets.  There  is  also  a  lia- 
bility of  failure  from  unforeseen  causes ;  still  the  Cranberry 
may  be  considered  as  certain  as  any  other  fruit.  To  make 
anything  like  a  fair  estimate  in  regard  to  profits,  we  are 
obliged  to  select  from  the  reports  of  the  various  growers 
throughout  the  country,  and  draw  our  conclusions  there- 
from. But  in  many  instances  these  are  so  vague  that  we  can 
only  approximate  to  the  truth.  I  have  inserted  a  few  of 
such  as  I  deem  reliable,  omitting  those  which  appear  to  be 
too  far  above  the  average : 

Mr.  Edmund  Bagley,  of  Massachusetts,  reports  in  the 
Journal  of  Commerce :  cost  of  land,  $12  per  acre ;  clean- 
ing, $100 ;  vines  and  setting,  $50 ;  cultivation.  $10  per 
year.  The  fourth  year,  average  crop,  300  bushels  per 
acre  ;  worth  $2.50  per  bushel. 

F.  Trowbridge,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  considers  the  usual 
average  about  175  to  200  bushels  per  acre. 

Mr.  Sullivan  Bates  says,  that  on  beds  that  have  been 
carefully  prepared,  the  yield  will  be  from  150  to  400  bush- 
els per  acre. 

J.  H.  Baker,  of  Westport,  Mass.,  reports  the  average 
crop  about  175  bushels. 

Trowbridge  and  Davis,  of  Ocean  County,  N.  J.,  report 
10  acres  in  bearing  ;    crop  1,100  bushels ;    although  the 
beds  were  new,  and  have  not  arrived  at  an  age  at  which 
a  full  crop  could  be  expected. 


CRANBERRY.  245 

At  Shamong,  N.  J.,  a  small  bed  is  reported  to  have 
yielded  220  bushels  per  acre. 

W.  R.  Braddock,  of  Bedford,  N".  J.,  has  100  acres;  20 
acres  of  which  yielded,  last  season,  1866,  an  average  of 
100  bushels  per  acre.  The  fruit  sold  for  a  price  which  left 
him  $6,000  over  and  above  all  expenses. 

The  above  statements  are  about  a  fair  average  of  the 
various  reports  received  from  the  proprietors  of  Cranberry 
beds  in  the  Eastern  States.  The  price  of  the  fruit  varies 
from  $2.00  to  $6.00  per  bushel.  It  is  probable  that  when 
the  immense  beds,  which  are  now  being  planted,  have  ar- 
rived at  full  maturity,  our  markets  will  be  fully  supplied, 
unless  some  new  way  of  disposing  of  the  fruit  is  dis- 
covered, which  it  is  very  likely  will  be  the  case. 


CHAPTER   X. 


HUCKLEBERRY.— (FAMILY  ERICACEA) 

Huckleberries  were  formerly  all  included  under  the 
genus  Vaccinium,  but  botanists  now  separate  them  into 
the  genera,  Gaylussacia  and  Vaccinium.  In  general 
appearance  they  resemble  one  another,  being  branching 
shrubs,  with  bell-shaped  or  urn-shaped  corollas  and  2- 
parted  anthers.  The  fruit  is  a  10  to  many  seeded  berry. 
The  Gaylussacias  differ  from  the  Vacciniums  in  having 
only  one  seed  in  each  cell  of  the  fruit,  and  their  foliage  is 
often  sprinkled  with  resinous  dots.  For  our  purposes  it 
is  convenient  to  consider  them  all  under  one  head. 

The  species  best  known  in  the  United  States  as  produc- 
ing edible  fruit,  are  chiefly  deciduous  shrubs  of  medium 
size,  blooming  in  May  and  June,  and  ripening  their  fruit 
from  July  to  September. 

SPECIES. 

The  number  of  species  of  Huckleberry  is  quite  large, 
and  I  shall  only  name  a  few  of  the  best. 

Gaylussacia  frondosa.  —  Blue  Danglebeny.  —  Leaves 
obovate,  oblong,  pale  glaucous  beneath ;  branches  slender, 
smooth.  Fruit  dark  blue,  covered  with  white  bloom,  sweet 


HUCKLEBERRY.  247 

and  edible.     Bush  grows  three  to  six  feet  high.    Found 
from  New  England  to  Virginia  in  low  grounds. 

G.  resinosa* — Black  Huckleberry. — Leaves  oval  or  ob- 
long, clammy  when  young ;  plants  quite  branching,  the 
young  shoots  pubescent ;  fruit  black  without  bloom,  with 
an  agreeable  flavor ;  bush,  two  to  three  feet  high.  Com 
mon  in  swamps  and  low  grounds  at  the  North. 

Vacc  in  him  I'mnsyl  vaiiinun.  —  Dwarf  Blueberry.  — 
Leaves  oblong,  sometimes  lanceolate,  smooth  and  shining ; 
branches  green,  somewhat  angled,  occasionally  warty; 
bush  one  to  three  feet,  very  prolific  ;  berries  blue,  ripening 
early.  The  fruit  of  this  species  is  highly  prized  on  account 
of  its  earliness,  but  it  is  not  so  agreeable  in  flavor  as  some 
others.  Abundant  in  dry,  sandy  seasons,  from  Maryland 
northward. 

V.  Canadcnsc* — Canada  Blueberry. — Leaves  more  or 
less  downy,  common  in  low  grounds ;  otherwise  similar  to 
the  preceding  species. 

V.  COrymbOSlim. — Swamp  Blueberry,  or  High-bush 
Huckleberry. — Leaves  oval  or  oblong,  variable  in  size  and 
color.  Shrubs  four  to  ten  feet  high,  common  in  low,  wet 
places.  Fruit  black,  covered  with  bloom,  sweet  but 
sprightly ;  the  best  Huckleberry ;  ripens  late  in  the  season, 
August  and  September. 

Fig.  98  shows  a  small  branch,  with  bunch  of  fruit  of  natu- 
ral size.  This  species  assumes  various  forms  and  colors;  some- 
times the  fruit  is  oval,  approaching  an  oblong,  while  others 
are  globular  or  slightly  compressed.  The  Black  High-bush 
Huckleberry,  as  it  is  generally  called,  is  quite  distinct,  the 
fruit  being  destitute  of  bloom  and  of  inferior  flavor.  It  is 
distinguished  by  the  riame  of  V.  corymbosum,  var.  atrococ- 
cum,  by  Dr.  Gray.  There  are  many  other  species  and  varie- 
ties growing  wild  all  over  the  country.  There  are  also 
foreign  species,  but  none  of  them  superior  to  those  named. 
I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  enter  into  any  minute  details 


248 


SMALL    FRUIT   CULTUKIST. 


Fig.  98.— SWAMP  HUCKLEBERRY. 


HUCKLEBERRY.  249 

of  the  history  or  cultivation  of  this  fruit,  from  the  fact  that 
there  is  nothing  connected  therewith  which  would  make 
the  subject  interesting.  The  Huckleberry  is  one  of  those 
fruits  which  have  always  been  neglected ;  none  of  our  horti- 
cultural writers  have  deemed  it  worthy  of  any  particular 
description,  and  but  very  few  have  thought  it  worthy  of 
mention. 

Why  this  neglect,  I  am  at  loss  to  understand,  for  the 
Huckleberry  possesses  naturally  better  qualities  than  even 
the  Currant  and  Gooseberry. 

All  of  our  northern  species  are  perfectly  hardy,  produc- 
ing no  thorns,  (which  is  such  a  disagreeable  feature  with 
many  of  our  small  fruits,)  and  the  plants  are  generally 
quite  productive. 

The  berries  are  more  firm  than  the  Raspberry,  Black- 
berry, or  Strawberry;  consequently,  will  bear  carriage 
well,  and  are  suitable  for  market. 

Thousands  of  bushels  are  annually  gathered  from  the 
woods  and  fields,  but  these  sources  of  supply  will  not  al- 
ways be  available ;  besides,  we  should  not  be  content  with 
depending  wholly  upon  nature  for  either  the  necessaries 
or  the  luxuries  of  life,  while  a  helping  hand  would  not 
only  increase  the  quantity,  but  improve  the  quality. 

Those  species,  which  naturally  grow  upon  high,  dry 
soils,  will  probably  be  the  best  for  garden  culture ;  still,  be- 
cause a  plant  is  found  in  its  wild  state  in  any  particular 
soil  or  situation,  it  does  not  follow  that  similar  circum- 
stances are  always  necessary  for  its  best  development  when 
under  cultivation.  If  nature  invariably  located  plants  un- 
der the  most  favorable  conditions  for  growth,  then  improve- 
ments would  be  less  certain  and  far  more  difficult  than 
now.  The  history  of  horticulture  affords  abundant  testi- 
mony to  the  fact  that  many  plants  succeed  far  better  in 
soils  and  locations  differing  very  materially  from  the  one 
in  which  nature  has  placed  them,  than  otherwise. 

The  Swamp  Huckleberry,  ( V.  corymbosumj)  is  some- 
11* 


250  SMALL    FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

times  found  upon  high,  dry  soils,  although  it  grows  chiefly 
in  locations  where  the  roots  are  immersed  in  water  for  the 
greater  portion  of  the  year.  That  it  will  grow  and  pro- 
duce fruit  upon  high  and  dry  soils,  I  have  proved  by  ex- 
periment. 

There  is  no  great  difficulty  in  removing  the  plants  from 
their  native  locality  to  the  garden,  but  our  main  depend- 
ence for  improvement  should  be  upon  seedlings,  because 
they  will  always  vary  more  or  less  from  the  parent,  and  by 
carefully  selecting  the  best  improvements,  are  certain.  The 
seeds  are  quite  small,  and  require  considerable  care  in  sow- 
ing. 

A  good  plan  is,  to  crush  the  berries,  and  mix  them  with 
fine  sand ;  then  put  them  in  a  box  or  flower-pot,  and  bury 
in  the  open  ground  until  spring.  Prepare  a  seed-bed,  the 
soil  of  which  should  be,  at  least,  half  leaf-mould,  or  peat, 
from  a  swamp ;  the  remainder  may  be  any  good  garden 
soil.  Surround  the  bed  with  boards,  a  foot  or  more  in 
width,  mix  the  soil  thoroughly  and  rake  level,  then  sow  on 
the  sand  containing  the  seeds ;  then  sift  over  this  soil  suf- 
ficient to  cover  the  seeds,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  deep, 
give  a  good  soaking  of  water  and  place  a  screen  over  the 
frame.  It  may  be  made  of  lath,  coarse  cloth,  or  anything 
that  will  partially  shade  the  plants  when  they  come  up, 
but  not  wholly  exclude  the  light.  Keep  the  soil  well  wa- 
tered, applying  the  water  with  a  watering-pot,  or  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  seeds  or  plants  will  not  be  disturbed.  The 
seedlings  may  be  transplanted  when  one  year  old,  if  they 
have  made  a  good  growth,  or  remain  in  the  seed-bed  for 
two  years.  They  will  usually  come  into  bearing  in  three 
to  six  years,  at  which  time  the  best  should  be  marked,  so 
that  they  may  be  propagated.  The  inferior  kinds  may  be 
thrown  away,  or  be  reserved  for  stocks,  on  which  to  work 
the  others.  Budding  and  grafting  may  be  employed  in 
propagation,  as  well  as  layers,  the  operation  being  per- 
formed in  the  usual  manner. 


CHAPTER    XL 


SHEPHERDIA. 

FAMILY 


[Named  in  honor  of  John  Shepherd,  formerly  curator  of  the  Liverpool  Botanic 
Garden.] 

GENERAL    CHARACTERS. 

Deciduous  shrubs,  or  small  trees,  with  silvery  leaved  ; 
flowers  dioecious,  the  sterile 
ones,  (fig.  99,)  having  a  four- 
parted  calyx,  and  eight  sta- 
mens ;  the  fertile  flowers,  (fig. 
100,)  have  an  urn-shaped  ca- 
lyx, enclosing  the  ovary  which 
becomes  a  berry-like  fruit. 
Leaves  opposite,  entire,  de- 
ciduous; the  flowers  very 
small,  yellow,  borne  in  the  ._ 
axils  of  the  small  branches. 

A  very  small  family  of 
plants,  and  there  is  but  one 
species  of  this  genus  that  is 
worthy  of  being  cultivated 
for  its  fruit, 

Shepherdia  argentea,  —  Buffalo  Berry  ;  Rabbit  Berry  ; 
Grosse  de  Buffle,  of  the  French  ;  Hippophce  argentea,  of 
Pursh.  —  Leaves  oblong,   silvery-white   on    both   sides  ; 
251 


Fig.  99. 


Fig.  100. 


252  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

branches  rusty  dull  white,  with  many  small  thorn-like 
branchlets ;  fruit  round,  dull  red,  sprightly  acid,  agreea- 
ble, borne  in  very  compact  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  small 
branches,  as  shown  in  figure  101.  Ripens  its  fruit  in  early 
autumn,  or  late  in  summer. 

Found  on  the  banks  of  the  upper  Missouri,  and  other 
large  rivers  of  the  Northwest.  It  is  seldom  seen  in  cul- 
tivation, but  it  is  really  deserving  of  a  place  in  every  gar- 
den. The  plant  is  quite  ornamental,  in  addition  to  its  edi- 
ble fruit,  which  is  produced  abundantly.  The  plant  is  very 
hardy,  and  grows  quite  readily  in  almost  any  good  soil. 
The  Shepherdia,  being  dioecious,  it  is  therefore  necessary 
to  plant  one  of  each  sex  to  obtain  fruit;  consequently, 
those  who  may  have  occasion  to  send  to  the  nurseries  for 
plants,  shouljl  be  careful  to  order  at  least  one  of  each  kind, 
although  if  several  are  to  be  planted  in  a  group,  one  sta- 
minate  plant  will  be  sufficient  to  fertilize  a  half  dozen  or 
more  pistillate  plants. 

At  the  present  time,  the  Shepherdia  is  not  grown  as  a 
market  fruit,  but  the  time  may  come  when  we  shall  see  it 
in  our  markets,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  new  and 
improved  varieties  will  be  produced  by  some  of  our  enter- 
prising fruit  growers.  The  thorn-like  character  of  its 
small  branchlets  makes  it  a  suitable  plant  for  ornamental 
hedges,  and  very  probably  it  would  be  equally  serviceable 
as  the  Buck-thorn  and  other  similar  plants,  for  turning 
cattle.  It  is  well  worthy  of  trial,  and  up  to  the  present 
time  I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  been  subject  to  disease,  or 
attacked  by  any  insect. 

PROPAGATION. 

Gather  the  berries  when  ripe,  crush  the  pulp,  and 
wash  out  the  seeds ;  then  sow  them,  or  preserve  in  sand, 
until  the  ensuing  spring.  The  best  method  is,  to  sow  the 
seeds  in  drills  soon  after  they  are  gathered,  covering  an 
inch  or  two  deep.  Transplant  when  one  year  old  into 


KIIEPITERBIA. 


253 


101. — FUUIT   OF   SHEPIIERDIA. 


254  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTTTKIST. 

nursery  rows,  placing  the  plants  a  foot  apart  in  the  row, 
and  the  rows  four  feet  apart.  They  will  usually  bloom  the 
third  year  from  seed,  at  which  time  every  plant  should  be 
examined,  and  a  label  attached  to  each  with  the  word 
staminate  or  pistillate,  as  the  case  may  be,  written  upon 
each;  common  wooden  labels,  such  as  used  by  nurserymen, 
freshly  painted  at  the  time,  will  remain  legible  for  two  or 
three  years.  If  it  is  more  convenient  to  have  the  plants 
separated  than  to  keep  each  one  labeled,  then  they  may  be 
taken  up  after  the  sexes  are  determined,  and  each  kind 
placed  in  a  row  by  itself. 

The  Shepherdias  produce  very  few  suckers,  but  when 
any  appear,  they  may  be  taken  off  and  planted  separately. 
Layers  root  very  readily,  and  plants  may  be  produced  in 
this  manner  quite  rapidly. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  ripe  wood  cuttings  will  grow 
the  same  as  the  Currant,  but  I  have  never  had  occasion  to 
try  this  mode  of  propagation,  because  they  grow  so  readily 
from  seed  that  I  have  practiced  this  method  in  preference 
to  others.  Besides,  there  is  always  a  chance,  when  grow- 
ing any  kind  of  fruit  from  seed,  of  producing  something 
better  than  the  original,  consequently,  the  very  uncertainty 
becomes  fascinating  to  the  true  lover  of  horticulture,  and 
the  hope  of  the  thing  lightens  the  otherwise  irksomeness 
of  the  task. 

There  is  another  species  of  Shepherdia  found  in  the 
Northein  States,  the  fruit  of  which  is  very  insipid.  I 
copy  the  description  from  Gray's  Manual  of  Botany : 

Shepherdia  CanadensiS.  —  Canadian  Shepherdia.  - 
"Leaves  elliptical  or  ovate,  nearly  naked  and  green 
above,  silvery-downy,  and  scurfy  with  rusty  scales  under- 
neath ;  fruit  yellowish-red ;  rocky  or  gravelly  banks ;  Ver- 
mont to  Wisconsin,  and  northward.  A  straggling  shrub, 
three  to  six  feet  high ;  the  branchlets,  young  leaves,  yel- 
lowish flowers  etc.,  covered  with  the  rusty  scales.  Fruit 
insipid." 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PREPARATION  FOR   GATHERING  FRUIT. 

To  grow  a  crop  of  fruit  is  but  the  initial  step  towards 
the  successful  termination  of  the  enterprise. 

If  the  fruit  is  to  be  sent  to  market,  then  crates,  baskets, 
etc.,  are  necessary  for  gathering  and  transporting,  all  of 
which  should  be  provided  in  advance  of  the  ripening  of 
the  crop.  The  number  of  baskets  required  per  acre  can- 
not be  given,  inasmuch  as  the  product  will  not  be  the 
same  in  any  two  seasons,  but  it  is  always  best  to  provide 
enough,  for  if  the  supply  should  fall  short  in  the  busy  part 
of  the  season,  it  might  cause  considerable  loss. 

We  will  suppose  that  a  grower  expects  to  send  a  thous- 
and baskets  per  day  to  market,  during  the  season,  of  any 
particular  kind  of  small  fruit,  and  if  he  sends  them  by 
railroad  or  steamboat,  to  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  or 
more,  he  must  not  expect  to  have  any  baskets  or  crates 
returned  in  less  time  than  six  to  ten  days  after  the  time 
of  the  first  shipment,  unless  he  has  better  success  than 
usual  with  fruit  growers  in  this  vicinity ;  consequently 
he  will  have  to  provide  six  to  ten  thousand  baskets  to  en- 
able him  continue  gathering. 

Sometimes,  owing  to  the  negligence  of  the  commission 
merchant,  no  baskets  will  be  returned  for  two  or  three 
255 


256  SMALL  FRUIT   CTJLTURIST. 

weeks,  and  a  very  large  extra  supply  of  baskets  will  be 
necessary  to  prevent  a  corresponding  loss. 

Ten  thousand  baskets,  with  a  corresponding  number  of 
crates,  should  be  provided,  if  a  thousand  baskets  are  to  be 
picked  per  day. 

To  the  inexperienced  in  these  matters,  this  may  seem 
to  be  an  unnecessary  outlay,  but  fruit  growers  in  the  East- 
ern States,  at  least,  have  learned  that  a  little,  or  consider- 
able, extra  capital  invested  in  baskets  will  quite  often 
insure  them  against  great  losses. 

Any  one  who  has  ever  looked  through  the  New  York 
markets,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Strawberry  season, 
must  have  noticed  thousands  of  baskets  and  crates  lying 
around  loose,  or  being  piled  up  in  the  streets,  where  the 
boys  make  bonfires  of  them  at  night,  and  thus  the  prop- 
erty of  the  fruit  grower  is  often  destroyed  through  the 
willful  neglect  of  those  to  whom  the  fruit  was  consigned. 

Many  remedies  have  been  tried  to  prevent  this  waste, 
but  none  have  been  entirely  successful,  unless  it  be  that 
of  sending  very  cheap  baskets  and  crates,  which  it  is  not 
expected  will  be  returned.  Many  fruit  growers  are  adopt- 
ing this  give  away  system,  and  under  some  circumstances 
it  is  probably  the  best,  but  under  others  it  is  doubtful  if 
it  is  the  most  profitable  in  the  end. 

An  attractive  exterior  is  a  good  passport,  even  in  the 
fruit  line,  and  I  know  of  many  instances  where  fruit  put 
up  in  handsome  baskets,  and  enclosed  in  extra  finished 
crates,  has  sold  for  almost  double  the  price  of  that  sent 
to  market  in  an  inferior  style  of  crate  and  basket. 

I  will  give  one  instance  which  came  under  my  notice 
the  past  season  :  A  young  man,  formerly  in  my  employ, 
commenced  sending  Blackberries  to  the  New  York  mar- 
ket the  past  season,  (1866,)  for  the  first  time,  and  wishing 
to  have  his  fruit  make  a  good  appearance,  he  purchased 
quart  baskets  of  as  handsome  style  as  he  could  find. 
They  cost  him  $30.00  per  1,000.  He  made  his  own  crates, 


PREPARATION  FOR  GATHERING  FRUIT 


257 


which  cost  about  $2.00  each  for  those  holding  sixty  quarts. 
The  crates  were  very  neatly  finished,  and  well  painted, 
with  his  name  and  address  put  on  with  stencil  plate. 
When  he  received  his  returns  for  the  fruit,  he  found  that 
it  had  brought  seven  cents  per  quart  more  than  that  of 
his  neighbors,  although  of  no  better  quality.  The  com- 
mission merchant,  to  whom  the  fruit  was  consigned,  sent 
a  note  along  with  the  money,  stating  that  the  extra  price 
was  owing  entirely  to  the  neat  appearance  of  his  baskets 
and  crates. 

Thus  it  can  be  seen  that  he  received  $4.20  per  crate 
more  than  his  neighbors,  merely  for  the  good  look  of  the 
vessels  in  which  the  fruit  was  sent  to  market,  and  if  neither 
crate  or  basket  had  been  returned,  he  would  then  have 

gained  sixty  cents  per  crate ; 
but  the  fact  Avas  that  scarce- 
ly a  basket  was  lost,  because 
they  were  considered  by  pur- 
chasers of  the  fruit  as  worth 
returning,  while  the  contrary 
is  often  the  case  with  inferior 
kinds. 

Crates  and  baskets  are  in 
some  cases  returned  free  by 
the  railroad  and  steamboat 
companies,  unless  the  distance 
to  market  is  too  great ;  under 
such  circumstances  it  is  best 
not  to  expect  it,  but  ship  the 
fruit  in  cheap  b'askets,  unless 
it  will  bring  enough  more,  as  in  the  instance  named,  to 
pay  for  packing  in  a  better  style. 

The  most  common  basket  used  for  the  New  York  mar- 
ket is  what  is  called  the  Jersey  Strawberry  basket,  figure 
102 ;  it  requires  from  five  to  seven  to  hold  a  quart.  Of 
late  years  this  basket  is  seldom  used,  except  for  the  smaller 


Fig.  102. — JERSEY   BASKET. 


258  SMALL   PKUIT   CTTLTTJBIST. 

varieties  of  the  Strawberry.  They  are  usually  made  by 
the  fruit  growers  themselves  in  winter,  but  sometimes 
they  are  made  for  sale,  and  the  price  varies  from  $10  to 
$15  per  1,000.  A  half  dozen  of  the  larger  varieties  of 
Strawberries  will  fill  one  of  these  Jersey  baskets. 

The  Raspberry  baskets  formerly  used  in  New  York 
State,  were  mainly  of  this  style,  but  a  little  larger ;  other 
kinds  of  baskets  are  now  rapidly  coming  into  use,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  our  small  fruits  will  soon  be  sold  by 
measure,  and  not  by  the  basket,  regardless  of  its  size, 
whether  it  be  the  size  of  a  thimble,  or  will  hold  a  half  pint 
or  pint,  as  formerly. 

Baskets  or  boxes  holding  a  pint  or  quart,  full  measure, 
are  most  in  vogue  at  the  present  time,  and  new  patterns 
are  constantly  being  brought  forward,  each  claiming  to  be 
an  improvement  upon  its  immediate  predecessor. 

With  most  of  the  small  fruits  ventilation  is  requisite  to 
preservation  for  even  a  very  short  time,  and  this  very  e&> 
sential  point  has  not  been  lost  sight  of  by  the  manufac- 
turers of  most  of  the  new  boxes  or  baskets  now  before 
the  public. 

When  fruit  is  only  to  be  transported  a  short  distance, 
and  will  reach  the  consumer  within  twelve  or  fifteen  hours 
after  being  gathered,  ventilation,  farther  than  that  which 
it  will  receive  through  an  open  crate,  is  not  very  import- 
ant, or  scarcely  necessary. 

The  idea  of  ventilation  applied  to  baskets  or  boxes  is  a 
good  one,  particularly  for  some  kinds  of  fruit,  but  there  is 
no  necessity  of  carrying  it  to  extremes,  so  that  the  vessels 
made  for  holding  fruit  are  scarcely  more  than  fragile 
wooden  nets. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  most  popular  baskets 
now  in  use  at  the  East.  All  are  patented  : 

American    Basket* 

This,  basket  is  manufactured  by  the  American  Basket 


PREPARATION    FOR    GATHERING   FRUIT. 


259 


Fig.  103. AMERICAN  BASKET. 


Company,  New  Britain,  Conn.  They  are  made  of  two 
sizes,  quarts  and  pints,  and  of  the 
form  shown  in  figure  103.  They 
are  very  strong,  of  neat  appear- 
ance, and  one  of  the  best  baskets 
with  which  I  am  acquainted. 
Those  who  prefer  to  make  their 
own  crates  can  purchase  the 
baskets  separately,  and  their  pe- 
culiar form  admits  of  their  be- 
ing very  compactly  nested 
for  transportation,  as  shown 
in  figure  104. 

The  manufacturers  also  fur- 
nish crates  to  those  who  de- 
sire them.     A  32  quart  crate 
is  shown  in  figure  105,  each 
one  being  furnished  with  lock 
attached  with  a  small  chain. 
The  fruit  grower  keeps  a  key 
to  lock  the  crate,  and  the  one 
to   whom    the    fruit   is    con- 
signed, has  a  duplicate,  with 
which   to   open  it   when   re- 
ceived.    Price  of  the  above 
baskets  is  at  present  as  follows 
Quart  berry  baskets 
Pint  berry  baskets 
32  quart  crate 
60  quart  crate 
When  the  baskets  are  sent  nested,  as  shown,  $2.00  per 
1,000  is  charged  for  the  boxes  in  which  they  are  packed. 

Hallock    Fruit    Box. 

A  square  box,  figure  106,  made  of  thin,  light  wood,  with 
holes  bored  in  the  sides  for  ventilation,  as  shown.     The 


Fig.  104. — STOCK  OF  BASKET. 

$30  per  1,000 

-    $35  per  1,000 

-     $2.00 

$2.50 


260  SMALL   FRUIT    CULTURIST. 

bottom  is  set  within  the  sides,  and  about  three-fourths  of 


Fig.  105.— CRATE  OF  AMERICAN  BASKETS. 

an  inch  above  the  lower  edge,  so  that  when  one  box  is  set 
in  the  crate  above  the  other,  there  will  be  a  small  space 

between  the  fruit  of  the  lower 
one  and  the  bottom  of  the  one 
above.  This  also  admits  of 
each  box  being  filled  a  little 
more  than  even  full,  and  still 
the  fruit  will  not  be  crushed 
by  the  one  above  it. 

These  boxes  are  used  in 
large  quantities  at  the  West, 
also  considerably  in  some  portions  of  the  East.  Some 
fruit  growers  object  to  any  box  or  basket  with  perpendic- 
ular sides,  because  the  fruit  will  settle  more  in  carrying 
than  when  the  sides  slope,  as  in  the  American  basket. 
There  are  advantages  in  both  forms,  also  disadvantages. 
A  square  box,  with  perpendicular  sides,  packs  and  remains 
more  firmly  in  its  place  than  any  other,  but  ventilation 
through  the  sides  cannot  be  obtained,  and  the  fruit  will 
certainly  crush  more  readily  than  in  boxes  with  sloping 
sides. 

The  price  of  the  Hallock  box  I  am  unable  to  give,  as 


te.  10t;.—  HALLOCK   FRUIT  BOX. 


PREPARATION    FOB    GATHERING   FEUIT. 


261 


the  inventor  failed  to  furnish  the  information  when  send- 
ing his  specimen.     Manufactured  by  N. 
Hallock,  Queens,  Queens  County^  1ST.  Y. 


Free    Fruit    I*ox. 

Figure  107.  As  its  name  implies,  this 
box  is  intended  to  be  given  away  with  the 
fruit.  This  will  be  quite  convenient  for 
those  who  forget  to  take  a  basket  with 
tli em  in  the  morning  when  going  to 
business,  and  thereby  have  a  very 
plausible  excuse  for  not  bringing  home 
some  fruit  for  tea.  The  manufacturer, 
in  his  circular,  thus  describes  this  box  : 


Fig.  107.— FREE   FRUIT  BOX. 

"  This  box  was  invented  for  the  purpose 
of  relieving  fruit  growers  of  one  of  the 
most  annoying  incidents  of  sending  their 
fruit  a  long  distance  to  market — the  neces- 
sity of  having  their  crates  and  boxes  re- 
turned to  them.  It  supplies  a  want  which 
has  always  existed  in  the  berry  trade,  and 
will  be  sold  so  cheap  that  it  can  be  given 
away  with  the  fruit.  In  appearance,  it  is 
remarkably  neat,  light,  but  substantial, 
while  the  fruit  will  always  go  to  market 
in  a  perfectly  clean  box.  Though  given 
away,  it  will  save  the  grower  money. 


Fi;r.  108. — SIDE 

OF    FKUIT    BOX. 


262  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTURIST. 

enable  him  to  get  a  better  price  for  his  fruit,  and  put 
an  end  to  the  annual  loss  of  boxes,  besides  saving  him 
the  necessity  of  keeping  a  vast  quantity  of  the  boxes  and 
crates  on  hand  to  provide  for  the  delay  of  returning  them. 
The  box  is  composed  of  two  pieces  of  veneer.  Figure 
108  represents  a  piece  which  is  folded  up  into  four  sides  of 
the  box.  It  is  scored  or  cut  at  the  dotted  lines,  so  that  it 
can  be  folded  up  into  a  shell  as  readily  as  a  piece  of  paste- 
board. The  tongue  at  the  left  hand  end,  buckles  into  the 
two  slots  at  the  right  hand  end,  just  like  closing  a  poeke; 
book.  A  notch  on  the  end  of  the  tongue  catches  so  effec- 
tually, after  being  buckled  in,  as  to  hold  the  shell  firmly 
together. 

The  bottom  is  shown  in  figure  109.  The  two  tongues  at 
the  end  are  also  scored  or  cut  at  the  dotted  lines,  and  be- 
ing readily  turned  up,  are  buckled  into  the  two  sets  of 

slots     shown    on 
the     left      hand 
'.  edge    of     figure 
j  108.    When  thus 
/  buckled    togeth- 
er, the  two  pieces 
form    a    perfect 

Fig.  109.— BOTTOM   OF  BOX.  box,    US     SCCU     in 

figure  107,  neither  nails  nor  glue  being  required,  and 
the  whole  constituting  a  strong  and  beautiful  box.  The 
bottom  cannot  fall  out,  as  it  is  held  firmly  in  its  place  by 
the  spring  of  the  wood.  The  prominent  advantages  se- 
cured by  the  use  of  this  box  are  as  follows : 

1.  The  great  desideratum  of  a   box  always  nice  and 
cleanly  is,  for  the  first  time,  secured. 

2.  The  commission  agent  being  relieved  from  the  great 
annoyance  of  hunting  up  and  returning  crates  and  boxes, 
as  well  as  escaping  the  loss  of  them,  will  sell  the  fruit  for 
much  less  than  the  usual  commission. 

3.  The  return  freight  of  empty  boxes  is  saved,  and  this, 


f 


PREPARATION    FOR    GATHERING   FRUIT. 


263 


added  to  the  saving  in  commission,  will  more  than  pay 
for  cost  of  crates  and  boxes. 

4.  Another  saving  is  secured  in  sending  to  market,  as 
100  of  the  Free  boxes,  quart  measures,  weigh  only  9^- 
pounds,   while   ICO  of  the  old   square  quarts  weigh    50 
pounds.     As  fruit  in  crates  goes  to  market  by  weight,  the 
new  box  saves  80  per  cent  of  the  weight.     Any  one  can 
readily  satisfy  himself  by  a  calculation  of  what  is  thus 
saved  in  freight  to  market,  commission,  and  return  of 
empty  crate,  that  he  will  really  save  money  by  using  a  box 
that  he  can  give  away.     It  will  be  found  cheaper  to  use  a 
box  only  once  than  to  continue  using  it  many  times. 

5.  As  these  boxes   are  put  together  without  nails  or 
glue,  they  can   be  sent  to 

distant  growers,  in  the  shape 

of  flats,  to  be  made  up  by 

children  at  odd  times  dur- 
ing the   winter.  .  The  flats 

are   scored,  ready  for  fold- 
ing  up,   and   as   the  wood. 

bends  at  the  joint  without 

breaking,  a  small  girl  will 

learn  in  five  minutes  how 

to     put      them      together. 

Many  hundred  boxes  thus 

packed  as  flats,  can  be  got  into  a  very  small  compass,  and 

at  trifling  cost  of  freight."  Present  prices  : 

Quart  boxes,  made  up,  $10.50  per  1,000 

Pint  boxes,  made  up,  -       10.00  per  1,000 

Quart  boxes,  in  flats,  ,  10.00  per  1,000 

Pint  boxes,  in  flats,  7.50  per  1,000 

Square    Cliip    Baslcet. 

Figure  110.  Here  we  have  an  improvement  on  the  com- 
mon Jersey  basket.  The  slats  are  reversed,  the  wide 
ones  passing  around  the  basket,  and  the  small  ones  form- 


Fig.  110. — SQUARE  CHIP  BASKET. 


264  SMALL   FKUIT   CULTUKIST. 

ing  the  uprights,  thereby  giving  a  comparatively  smooth 
surface,  allowing  the  baskets  to  be  lifted  out  or  put  bark 
into  place  in  the  crates,  without  catching  upon  those  ad- 
joining, and  upsetting  them,  as  is  often  the  case  with  the 
common  one.  These  baskets  are  made  square,  conse- 
quently park  very  closely  together,  leaving  no  vacant 
spares  between  them.  An  excellent  basket  for  Raspber- 
ries. Made  by  J.  K.  Park,  Marlboro,  Ulster  County,  N. 
Y.  Price,  $3.00  per  100. 

<-oilii<      Free     I'Vuit    Ifiox. 

This  box  is  intended  to  be  given  away  with  the  fruit. 
They  arc  of  an  octagon  shape,  as  shown  in  iig.  Ill,  made 
of  veneer,  and  can  be  sent  in  Hats  and  put  together  by  the 
fruit  grower,  thus  saving  much  r. \prnsr  in  transportation. 


Fig.  111.  —  GOTHIC  FREE  FRUIT  BOX.  Fig.  112.  —  COOK'S  BASKET. 

The  material,  all  ready  to  be  put  together,  is  furnished  by 
F.  II.  Lumus  &  Co.,  the  manufacturers,  for  $10  per  U)00. 


This  is  a  very  neat  and  pretty  basket,  very  strong  and 
durable.  Some  of  onr  fruit  growers  object  to  it  on  ac- 
count of  the  small  strips  of  which  it  is  made,  because,  as 
the  berries  settle,  they  are  injured,  by  being  cut  by  the 
sharp  edges.  It  is,  however,  an  excellent  basket,  and  well 
worthy  of  the  attention  of  the  cultivator  of  the  small 
fruits.  Manufactured  by  D.  Cook,  New  Haven,  Conn. 


PREPARATION    FOR    GATHERING   FRUIT. 


265 


Fig.  113.— GUERNSEY  BOX. 


Guernsey    Frnit    Box. 

This  is  a  round  box,  fig.  113,  made  of  thin  veneer  and 
reversible,  as  either  end  may  be  used  as  the  cover,  there 

being  a  thin  band  within 
which  holds  both  ends  to- 
gether. This  box  would 
answer  better  for  Currants 
and  Gooseberries,  than  for 
Raspberries  and  similar 
fruit,  as  it  is  not  ventilated ; 
but  this  might  be  done  by 
boring  holes  through  one 
end.  Manufactured  by  Wm. 
B.  Guernsey.  Price,  $50  per  1000. 

Johnston's    Premium    Fruit    Case 

"  Is  made  up  of  four  trays  17  inches  wide,  23  inches  long, 
and  3  inches  deep,  holding  a  little  over  one  half  bushel; 
side  pieces  (1,  in  fig.  114)  half 
inch  thick,  3  inches  wide,  23 
inches  long ;  ends  (2)  f  inch 
thick,  3  inches  wide  and  19J 
inches  long ;  bottoms  of  three 
upper  trays  -J-  inch  thick ; 
standards  (5)  2  inches  by  f 
by  15;  cover  cleats  (6)  2 


inches  by  f  by  18 ;    tops  (4) 


Fig.  114. — JOHNSTON'S  CASE. 


24  inches  by  6  by  f ;  handles  (2)  23  inches  by  2  by  f ; 
bottoms  of  case  24  inches  by  6  by  -j  ;  the 
^m  3  bottom  tray  is  made  of  heavier  stuff,  sides 
(4,  in  fig.  115)  f  inch  thick,  end  1|  inch 
thick  and  sides  are  let  in  to  the  ends  as  seen 
in  1 ;  this  tends  to  strengthen  the  standard, 
2,  which  is  firmly  nailed  to  both  side  and  end 
pieces.  The  trays  are  separated  by  slats  f  inch 

by  2  inches,  with  the  ends  projecting  about  -J-  an  inch,  as 
12 


Fig.  115. 


266 


SMALL   FRUIT   CULTTJKIST. 


seen  in  fig.  14.  The  cover  has  also  a  narrow  slat  at  each  end. 
The  cover  is  fastened  by  bending  a  piece  of  hoop  iron 
around  the  standard,  and  fastening  it  to  both  sides  of  the 
cover  cleats  with  screws,  and  a  spring  made  of  the  same 
is  attached  to  the  inside  edge  of  the  standard,  runs  up 
through,  and  hooks  over  the  band  of  hoop  iron,  the  stand- 
ard being  sawed  out  to  admit  of  working  the  spring,  as 
seen  in  fig.  14. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  make  the  trays  all  square,  and 
the  covers  all  alike,  so  that  each  will  fit  in  any  case.  In 
order  to  have  the  standards  all  alike,  the  handles  should 
not  be  put  on  until  after  the  covers  are.  In  getting  out  a 
bill  of  material,  have  it  sawed  in  planks  at  the  saw  mill, 
as  thick  as  you  want  the  pieces  wide,  and  have  it  worked 
up  by  circular  saw." 

I  am  not  aware  that  this  style  of  case  is  in  use  at  the 
East,  but  it  is  a  western  invention,  and  used  by  growers  in 
that  section. 

Sin i  i  It'-  Grape  B5<» \ . 

Though  made  with  reference  to  packing  grapes,  this 
box  will  answer  for  Currants,  Gooseberries,  and  those  fruits 

that  do  not  especi- 
ally need  ventila- 
tion. The  sides  of 
this  box  are  made, 
of  veneer,  cut  part- 
ly through  at  the 
edges  where  it 
bends  over  the  end 
pieces,  which  are 
thick  enough  to  al- 
Fig.  116.— SMITH'S  GRAPE  BOX.  low  the  sides  to  be 

nailed  to  them.  The  cover  fastens  down  by  tacking  the 
flap  to  the  ends.  They  are  made  with  the  sides,  top  and 
bottom  all  in  one  piece,  as  shown  in  figure  116,  or  with 


PREPARATION   FOR    GATHERING   FRUIT.  267 

these  in  two  pieces,  so  that  it  is  reversible  and  may  be 
opened  at  either  top  or  bottom.  Patented  and  made  by 
J.  B.  Smith,  Ansonia,  Conn.  Boxes  to  hold  5  Ibs.  of 
grapes,  in  the  flat,  nails  included,  for  $60  per  1000. 

GATHERING    FRUIT. 

In  sections  where  the  small  fruits  are  grown  extensive- 
ly, women  and  children  are  chiefly  employed  to  gather 
them,  being  paid  so  much  per  basket. 

The  small  Jersey  Strawberries  are  generally  pulled,  as 
it  is  called,  or  separated  from  the  calyx,  or  hull,  when 
picked;  with  the  larger  kinds  it  is  left  on.  The  price 
paid  for  picking  varies  from  seventy-five  cents  to  one  dol- 
lar twenty-five  cents  per  hundred  for  the  small  baskets, 
and  three  to  five  cents  per  quart  for  the  larger  Strawber- 
ries, Raspberries  and  Blackberries.  At  these  prices,  an 
expert  hand  will  make  two  to  three  dollars  per  day 
where  the  fruit  is  abundant. 

The  fruit  should  always  be  gathered  in  dry  weather, 
and  none  should  be  picked  in  the  morning  while  the  dew 
is  on. 

The  usual  method  practiced  in  the  larger  plantations  is 
something  like  the  following : 

A  tent  or  temporary  shed  is  erected  in  or  near  the  field 
in  which  the  fruit  is  grown,  and  the  superintendent  remains 
in  this  and  takes  charge  of  the  fruit  as  it  is  brought  in, 
giving  each  picker  a  ticket,  stating  the  number  of  baskets 
brought  in.  When  one  or  two  hundred  baskets  are  gath- 
ered, then  the  small  tickets  are  taken  up  and  a  large  one 
given,  on  which  is  printed  good  for  one,  two,  or  more 
dollars,  as  the  case  may  be.  These  tickets  are  redeemed 
at  the  end  of  the  week,  provided  the  holder  retains  them 
until  that  time ;  but  with  some  a  week  is  a  very  long  time 
to  keep  a  promise  to  pay,  and  they  sel!4  them.  In  some 
portions  of  New  Jersey,  and  perhaps  elsewhere,  these 


268  SMALL   FRUIT   CULTUBIST. 

tickets  pass  current  at  the  stores  in  the  vicinity,  ami  the 
merchants  take  them  in  exchange  for  goods,  and  when  the 
season  is  over,  present  them  to  the  proper  persons  for  re- 
demption. 

At  the  time  of  gathering,  each  picker  is  furnished  with  a 

stand,  figure  117, 
holding  ten  to 
twenty-five  baskets. 
When  all  are  filled, 
they  are  carried  to 
the  tent  and  put 
into  the  crates, 

Fig.  117.— BASKET   STAND.  ,         ,.  ,. 

ready  for    sending 

to  market.  The  small  Jersey  baskets  are  put  into  crates 
holding  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  each, 
but  when  pint  and  quart  baskets  are  used,  from  thirty  to 
sixty  go  in  a  crate. 

The  pickers  have  to  conform  to  certain  rules  promulgat- 
ed by  the  nabob  of  the  tent,  for  there  must  be  discipline 
and  system  observed  in  fruit  gathering,  as  in  every  other 
business,  to  produce  the  best  result.  No  picker  must  be 
allowed  to  encroach  upon  his  neighbor,  and  when  a  row 
or  bed  is  selected  at  the  start,  it  must  be  retained  until  all 
the  fruit  for  that  time  is  gathered.  The  next  bed  or  row 
must  be  taken  by  lot — and  no  dodging  because  it  happens 
to  be  a  poor  one. 

The  time  of  the  vintage  is  one  of  rejoicing  in  the  vine 
countries  of  Europe,  and  equally  so  is  the  time  of  gather- 
ing the  small  fruits  in  America.  Good  feelings  prevail  on 
all  sides,  and  particularly  if  the  crop  is  abundant,  for  both 
employer  and  the  employed  are  abundantly  rewarded  for 
their  labor. 


TABLE   OF   DISTANCES. 

TABLE    OF    DISTANCES. 


269 


To  show  at  a  glance  the  number  of  hills  or  plants  contained  in  an  acre  of  land,  at 
any  given  distance  from  each  other,  from  40  feet  by  40,  to  1  foot  by  1,  omitting 
fractions.  Divide  the  amount  by  160,  will  show  the  No.  for  1  rod. 


feet  feet 

per  acre 

feet     feet  per  acre 

feet     feet  per  acre\\feet     feet 

per  acre 

40  by  40 

27 

11  by  5 

792 

5  6byl  6 

5280 

3  3by3  0 

4818 

39  .  .  39 

28 

10  .  .  10 

435 

—      1  0 

7920 

—      29 

4882 

38  .  .  38 

30 

—  ..    8 

544 

50      50 

1742 

—      26 

5361 

37  ..37 

31 

—  ..    6 

726 

—      46 

1936 

—      23 

5956 

36  ..  36 

33 

—  ..    5 

871 

—      40 

2178 

—      20 

6701 

35  ..  35 

35 

—  ..    4 

1089 

—      30 

2904 

—      1  9 

7658 

34  ..  34 

37 

—  ..3 

1452 

—      26 

3484 

—      16 

8935 

33  ..  33 

40 

—  ..    2 

2178 

—      20 

4356 

—      1  3 

10722 

32  ..  32 

42 

—  ..    1 

4356 

—      1  6 

5808 

—      1  0 

13403 

31  .  .  31 

45 

9    ..    9 

537 

—      10 

8712 

30      30 

4840 

30  ..  30 

48 

—  ..    8 

605 

46      46 

2151 

—      29 

5289 

39    .  29 

51 

—  ..    6 

806 

~      40 

2420 

—      26 

5808 

28  ..  28 

55 

—  ..    5 

968 

—      36 

2765 

—      23 

6453 

27  ..  27 

59 

—  ..4 

1210 

—      30 

3226 

—      20 

7260 

2fi  ..  26 

64 

.  .  _„                O 

1613 

—      26 

3872 

—      19 

8297 

25  ..  25 

69 

—  '.'.    2 

2420 

—      20 

4840 

—      1  6 

9680 

24  ..  24 

75 

—  ..    1 

4840 

—      1  6 

6453 

—      1  3 

11616 

23  .  .  23 

82 

8    ..    8 

680 

—      10 

9680 

—      10 

14520 

22  ..  22 

90 

—  ..6 

905 

40      40 

2722 

29      29 

5760 

21   .  .  21 

98 

—  ..    5 

1089 

—      39 

2904 

—      26 

6336 

20  .  .  20 

108 

—  ..    4 

1361 

—      36 

3111 

—      23 

7040 

—  ..  15 

145 

—  ..    3 

1815 

—      33 

3350 

—      20 

7920 

—  ..  10 

217 

—  ..    2 

1722 

—      30 

3630 

—      19 

9051 

—  ..    5 

435 

—  ..    1 

5445 

—      26 

4356 

—      1  6 

10560 

19  ..19 

120 

7    ..  7  0 

888 

—      23 

4840 

—      1  3 

12672 

—  ..  15 

152 

-..66 

957 

—      20 

5445 

—      10 

15840 

—  ..  10 

229 

—  ..60 

1037 

—      1  9 

6222 

26      26 

6969 

—  ..    5 

458 

—  ..50 

1244 

—      1  6 

7260 

—      23 

7740 

18  ..  18 

134 

....  4  6 

1382 

—      13 

8712 

—      20 

8712 

—  ..  15 

161 

—  ..40 

1555 

—      10 

10890 

—      1  9 

9950 

—  ..  10 

242 

—  ..36 

1777 

89      39 

3097 

—      16 

11616 

—  ..    5 

484 

—  ..30 

2074 

—      36 

3318 

—      1  3 

13939 

17  ..17 

150 

—  ..26 

2489 

—      33 

3574 

—      1  0 

17424 

—  ..  15 

170 

—  ..20 

3111 

—      30 

3872 

23      23 

8604 

—  ..  10 

966 

—  .  .  1   6 

4148 

39      29 

4224 

—      20 

9680 

—  ..    5 

512 

—  ..10 

6222 

—      26 

4&46 

—      1  9 

11062 

16  ..  16 

170 

6    ..60 

1210 

—      23 

5162 

—      16 

12906 

—  ..  15 

175 

—  ..56 

1320 

—      20 

5808 

—      1  3 

15488 

—  ..  10 

272 

—  ..50 

1452 

—      1  9 

6637 

—      10 

19360 

—  ..    5 

544 

—  ..46 

1613 

—      16 

7744 

20      20 

10890 

15  ..  15 

103 

—  ..  4  0 

1815 

—      1  3 

9272 

—      19 

12445 

—  ..  10 

390 

—  .  .  3  6 

2074 

—      1  0 

11616 

—       16 

14520 

—  ..    5 

580 

—  .  .  3  0 

2420 

36      36 

3535 

—       1   3 

17424 

14  .  .  14 

222 

—  ..26 

2904 

—      33 

3829 

—      10 

21780 

—  ..  10 

JHI 

-..20 

3630 

—      30 

4148 

19      19 

14223 

622 

-..16 

4840 

—      29 

4525 

—      16 

16594 

13  !  '.  13 

257 

-..10 

7260 

—      26 

4978 

—      1  3 

19913 

—  ..  10 

335 

5  6  ..  5  6 

1417 

—      23 

5531 

—      10 

24454 

—  ..    5 

670 

—  ..50 

1584 

—      20 

6222 

16      16 

19360 

12  .  .  12 

302 

—  ..46 

1760 

—      1  9 

7111 

—      1  3 

23232 

—  ..  10 

363 

—  ..40 

1980 

—      16 

8297 

—      10 

29040 

—  ..    5 

720 

—  ..36 

2262 

—      1  3 

9956 

13      13 

27878 

360 

—  ..30 

2640 

—      1  0 

12445 

—      10 

34848 

\-  ::  10 

396 

—  ..20 

3960 

33      33 

4124 

10      10 

43560 

GENERAL    INDEX. 


Synonyms  are  put  in  Italics. 


^Bcidlura  Berberidis 29 

Argema  obtusatum 83 

BARBERRY 20 

u       Culture  of 25 

**       Historyof 21 

"       Diseases  of 29 

••       Mildew 29 

"       Propagation 21 

44       Black-fruited 28 

44       Chinese 28 

44       Common 20-25 

44       Cretan 28 

"  '     Iberian 28 

'•       Magellan  Sweet 20 

44       Nepaul 20 

44       Purp' e-fruited 28 

44       Purple-leaved 27 

44       Siberian 28 

41       Sweet-fruited 27 

44       Violet-fruited 28 

"       White-fruited 27 

"       Yellow-fruited 28 

Basket,  American 258 

"       Cook's 264 

44       Jersey 257 

44       Square  Chip 263 

Basket  Stand 268 

Berberis 20 

44       aristata 20 

11       Asiatica 20 

44       buxifolia 20 

44       Canadensis 20 

44       ChUra 20 

4-       Cretica 28 

44       Iberica 28 

*4      rotundtfoUa 20 

"       Sibirica 28 

M      Sinenais 28 

"      vulgaris 20-25 

44       alba 27 

270 


Berberis,  vulgaris  asperma 27 

dulcis 27 

44  "  glauca 27 

longifolia 27 

"  lutea 28 

"  mitis 28 

44  '4  nigra 28 

44  purpurea 28 

44  "  violacea 28 

BLACKBERRY 168 

Albion 179 

CapeMay 175 

Claret 179 

Col.  Wilder 179 

44  Common  High 168 

Crystal  White 181 

Cultivation 171 

Cumberland 174 

Cut-Leaved 172 

Cutter's  Mulberry 181 

Dr.  Warden 181 

Dorchester 175 

European 170 

Felton 175 

Holcomb 175 

Kittatinny 175 

Lawton 178 

Low 169 

Low  Bush 169 

Mason's  Mountain 181 

Needham's  White 179 

Newman's  Thornless.. .  .178 

New  Rochelle 178 

Parsley-Leaved 173 

Propagation  of 171 

Pruning  Shears 172 

Pruning  Hook 172 

Running  Swamp 169 

Sand 169 

Seacor's  Mammoth 178 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


271 


Blackberry,  Washington 181 

"         Wilson's  Early 179 

Blueberry,  Canada 247 

44         Dwarf 247 

"         Swamp 247 

Blue  Dangleberry 246 

Buffalo  Berry 251 

Cherry,  Cornelian 225 

Cherry,  Dwarf .183 

Cloud  Berry 115 

Cornel 225 

Cornelian  Cherry 225 

Cornus  mascula 225 

CRANBERRY 231 

Applying  water  to 239 

Bush 232 

Common 231 

Cultivation  of 239 

Gathering 240 

History  of 232 

Insects. 241 

Planting 237 

Preparation  of  Soil  for. . .  .234 

Profits  of  Culture 244 

Propagation 233 

Selection  of  Plants 238 

Small 231 

Upland  Culture 242 

"       Varieties  of 240 

Crows  and  Fruit  Culture 84 

CURRANT 186 

44       Foreign  Varieties 202 

44       History  of 187 

44       Insects  and  Diseases 196 

44       Native  Varieties 199 

44       Propagation  from  Cuttings.190 
44       Propagation  from  Layers. . .  192 

44       Propagation  from  Seeds 188 

44       Propagation  from  Suckers .  .192 

44       Pruning  and  training 193 

44       Soil  and  Cultivation 192 

44       Attractor 203 

44       American  Black 199 

44       BlackEnglish 209 

41       Black  Grape 210 

"       Black  Naples 210 

44       Black  Varieties 204 

44       Brown  Fruited 211 

44       Buist's  Long-Bunched  Red .  204 

44       Cassis  Eoyal  of  Naples 210 

44       Champagne 204 

44       Cherry 204 


Currant,  Clarke's  Sweet 209 

44       Dana's  White 205 

44       Deseret 199 

44       Fertile  o?  Angers  of  Leroy . .  204 

44       Fertile  de  Palluau 206 

Fetid 186 

Gloire  de  Sablous 206 

Golden 200 

Goliath 208 

Gondouin  Red 20f 

Gondouin  White 206 

Green  Fruited 211 

Gros  Rouge  d' Angers 206 

Holland  Long  Grape 206 

Houghton  Castle 208 

Imperial  Jaune 206 

Imperial  Rouge. 204 

Imperial  Yellow 206 

Irish  Grape 204 

Knight's  Early  Red 207 

Knights'  Large  Red 207 

Knights'  Sweet  Red 207 

La  Caucase 204 

La  Fertile 207 

LaHative 207 

La  Hative  de  Set  tin 207 

Large  Red  Angers 204-206 

Large  Red  Dutch 207 

Long  Bunched,  Red 207 

Macrocarpa 204 

May's  Victoria 208 

Missouri 187 

Missouri  Black 200 

Missouri  Sweet  Fruited.. .  .201 

Morgan's  Red 207 

Napoleon  Red 204 

New  Red  Dutch 207 

New  White  Dutch 209 

Ogderfs  Black  Grape 210 

Pheasant's  Eye 204 

Prince  Albert 207 

Profits  of  Culture 211 

Roby  Castle 208 

Red 187 

Red  Dutch 207 

Red  Flowering 187 

Rod  Grape 208 

Red  Grape 208 

Red  Imperial. 204 

Red  Provence 208 

Reeves'  White 209 

Rouge  a  Grosse  Fruit 207 


272 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


Currant,  Russian  Green 211 

Striped  Fruited 208 

44       Transparent  White 208 

"       Usesof... 211 

"       Versailles 205 

"       Victoria 208 

"        WhiteAntwerp 209 

"        White  Clinton 209 

"        While  Crystal 209 

"       WhiteDutch 209 

44       White  Grape 209 

White  Holland 209 

White  Imperial 206 

44        Wldte  Leghorn 209 

"        White  Pearl 209 

44       White  Provence 209 

4 '        White  Transparent 209 

44        Wilmot's  Red  Grape. 208 

44       Wild  Black 186 

Dangleberry,  Blue 246 

Dewberry 169 

Dwarf  Cherry 183 

Forcing  Houses 74 

Fragaria 31 

44       collina 82 

44       elatior 32 

grandiflora 82 

44       Indica 32 

44       manophylla Ill 

44       vesca 31 

44       Virginiana 32 

Fruit  Box,  Free 261 

44         Gothic  Free 264 

44         Guernsey 265 

Hallock's 259 

44         Smith's 266 

Fruit  Case,  Johnston's  Premium...  .265 

Gathering  Fruit 255-267 

Gaylussacia  frondosa 246 

44         resinosa 247 

GOOSEBERRY 214 

44        American  Red 222 

44        Cluster 222 

44        Cluster  Seedling 222 

44        Downing 222 

44        Dutch  Joe 222 

44        Foreign  Species 215 

44         Foreign  Varieties 223 

History 216 

44        Houghton's  Seedling..  .222 

44        Insects  Injurious  to 220 

44        Mountain  Seedling 222 


Gooseberry, Native  Species 214 

Native  Varieties 222 

14        Pale  Red 222 

44        Prize  English  Varieties.222 

44        Profits  of  Culture 221 

44         Propagation  of. 216 

41         Pruning  and  Training . .  217 
44        Roberts'  Sweet  Water . . . .  222 

44        St.  Clair 222 

44        Small  Leaved 215 

44         Smooth 214 

41        Soil  and  Culture 219 

"        Swamp 215 

Grosse  de  Baffle 251 

Hyjipophce  argentea 251 

HUCKLEBERRY 246 

44         Black 247 

44         Dwarf 247 

44         High-bush 247 

INSECTS. 

44      Abraxis  Grossulariata 190 

44  u       ribearia 197 

44       Blackberry  Bush  Borer 141 

44       Byturus  tomentosus 141 

44       Cecidomya  Grossulariae 221 

44       Currant  Borer,  American ...  198 

44  "       Borer,  European 19? 

44       Worm 196 

44       Gooseberry  Bark-louse 220 

Midge 221 

44  44        Moth 221 

44       Lecanium  Cynosbati 220 

44       Magpie  Moth 196 

44       May  Beetle 83 

44       MealyFlata 220 

44       Paeciloptera  primosa 220 

44       Plant-Louse 86 

44       Prenocerus  supernotatus. . .  198 

44       Trochilium  caudatum 199 

41  "         tipuliforme 198 

44       WhiteGrub 83 

Introduction 7 

Microsphaeria  Berberidis 30 

Mulberry 115 

Number  of  Plants  to  the  Acre 269 

Preparation  for  Gathering  Fruit. . .  255 

Propagation,  by  Cuttings 22 

44  Green-wood  Cuttings..  24 

Root  Cuttings 117 

Primus  pumila 184 

Rabbit  Berry 261 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


273 


114 

American  Black 141 

Black 115 

Black-Cap,Propagation  of  122 

Brand 140 

Rust 140 

Disease  and  Insects 140 

Duration  of  Plants 139 

Dwarf 115 

European 116 

Garden  Culture  of 137 

History  of. 116 

Planting  and  Culture 131 

Propagation  of 117 

Pruning  of 134 

Purple  Flowering 114 

Selection  of  Plants 131 

Training  of 135 

Varieties  for  Family  Use.. 166 

Varieties  for  Market 167 

White  Flowering 115 

Wild  Red 115 

Winter  Protection  of. ...  .136 

Allen's  Antwerp 151 

Allen's  Red  Prolific 151 

American  Improved 142 

American  Red  Cane 147 

American  White  Cap 142 

Antwerp 156 

Antwerp  Red 156 

Antwerp  Yellow 156 

Bayley's  Perpetual 158 

Barnet 156 

Barnefs  Antwerp 156 

Beehive 165 

Belle  de  Fontenay 157 

Belle  de  Palluau 158 

Brentford  Cane 157 

Brinckle's  Orange 163 

Bromley  Hill 165 

Burley^s  Antwerp 156 

Burlington 157 

Catawissa 146 

Chili  Monthly 165 

Clarke 158 

Col.  Wilder 159 

Cope 159 

Cornish 165 

Cornwall's  Prolific 156 

Cornwall's  Seedling 156 

Cretan  Red 159 

Gushing 159 

12* 


Raspberry,  Cutbush's  Prince  ofWales!59 

"         Cox's  Honey 165 

"         Davison's  Thornleas 143 

"         Doolittle's  Black  Cap 142 

"         Doolittle's   Red-Flavored 

Black 143 

"         Downing 166 

"         Double  Bearing 160 

"         Double  Bearing  Tdlow. .  .156 

Duhring 160 

Early  Prolific 165 

Ellisdale 146 

Elsie 143 

Emily 166 

English  Antwerp 156 

Fastolff 160 

tfillbasket 160 

Foreign  Varieties 155 

Franconia 161 

French 161 

Fulton 161 

Gardiner 147 

General  Patterson 161 

Golden  Cap I". .  .148 

Hornet 161 

Howland's  Antwerp 156 

Hudson  Biver  Antwerp. . .  156 

Huntsman's  Giant 162 

Imperial 162 

Improved  Black  Cap 142 

Jillard's  Seedling 165 

Joslyrfs  Improved 142 

Jouet 162 

Keystone 165 

Kirtland 154 

KnewetVs  Antwerp 156 

Knevet'a  Giant 162 

Large  Fruited  Monthly...  162 

Large  Eed 156 

Longworth 165 

Lord  Exmouth 156 

Magnum  Bonum 163 

Marvel  of  the  Four  Seasonsl63 
Merveille  Quatre  Saisons.136 

Miami  Black  Cap 143 

Monthly  Black  Cap 143 

Mote's  Seedling 166 

Mrs.  Ingersoll 165 

Mrs.  Wilder 166 

Naomi 163 

New  Everbearing 166 

New  Red  Antwerp 156 


274 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


Raspberry  Nm'thumberlandMOdasketlGO 

44         Nottingham  Scarlet .  .166 

44         Ohio  Everbearing 143 

44         Old  Red  Antwerp 156 

44         Orange ...163 

44         Pearl 154 

44         Philadelphia 147 

"        Pilate 163 

44        Princess  Alice 166 

44         Purple  Cane 147 

44         Purple  Cane  Family 144 

44         Richardson 166 

44         Rivers'  New  Monthly 162 

*4         Rivers'  Seedlings 163 

44         Russell's  Red 164 

44         St.Louis 166 

44         Scarlet • 154 

44         Semper  Fidelis 164 

44         Seneca  Black  Cap 143 

44         Souchettii 164 

44         Spring  Grove 166 

44         Stoever 154 

44         Summit  Black  Cap 144 

44         Superb 166 

44         Superb  d' Angleterre 166 

44         Surpasse  Merveille 166 

44         Surprise 144 

44         Taylor's  Paragon 166 

44         Thornless  Blackcap 143 

44         True  Red  Antwerp 156 

44         Vice  President  French. ...  161 

44         Victoria 157 

Walker 164 

44         WMUAntwerp 156 

44         White  Transparent 164 

WildRed 149 

Wilmot's  Early  Red 166 

44         Woodside 144 

u         Woodward 166 

41         Woodward's  Red  Globe . .  166 

44         Yellow  Cap 142 

"        YellowChili 165 

Ribes 186 

44     aureum 187 

44     cuneifolium 215 

44     Cynosbati 214 

44     divaricatum 215 

"     floridum 186 

44     gracile 215 

44     Grossularia 215 

44     hirtellum 214 

44     lacustre ...  ...  215 


Ribes  microphyllum 215 

44     nigrum 187 

44     oxycanthoides 215 

44     prostratum 186 

44     rotundifolium 215 

44     rubrum 187 

44     sanguineum 187 

44     Uvacrispa ,....215 

Root  Cuttings 117 

Rubus 114 

44    Canadensis 1G9 

44    Chamsemorus 115 

44    cuneifolius 1(>9 

44    fruticosus 170 

44    hispidus 169 

"    Idaeus 116 

41    Japonicus 116 

44    latiniatus 173 

41    macropetalua 116 

44    Nutkanus 115 

44    occidentalis 115 

44    odoratus 114 

41    spectabilis 170 

44    strigosus 115 

44    triflorus 115 

44    trivialis 169 

•w    villosus 168 

Shepherdia 251 

44         argentea 251 

44         Canadensis 254 

Slugs 85 

STUAWBKRRY 31 

Brand 83 

44         Culture,  Annual 63 

44  "        Biennial 62 

Garden 64 

Rows  and  Hills.  63 
14         Diseases  and  Insects  —  83 

4*         Forcing 70 

4-          History  of. 32 

•'          Houses  for 74 

44         Hybridizing  andCrossing  7o 

"          Manures  for 54 

44         Planting  and  Cultivation  60 
44         Preparation  of  Plants. . .  57 

44         Propagation  of 48 

44  "  by  Division  of  Roots  53 

44  "  by  Runners 52 

44  bySeeds 5f 

44         Sexuality  of. 39 

14          Soil  and  Situation 53 

"         Structure  of  Plants. .      .  48 


GENEBAL   INDEX. 


275 


Strawberry,  Thinning  the  Fruit 76 

"         Tiles 67 

u         Time  to  plant 66 

"         Varieties  for  Forcing 75 

Vase 67 

"        Winter  Protection 70 

LIST  OP  VARIETIES. 

Admiral  Dundas 104 

Agriculturist 88 

Albion  White 95 

Alpine 31 

Alpine  Blanc 110 

Alpine  Red 110 

Alpine  Red  Monthly 110 

Alpine  Rouge 110 

Alpine  White 110 

Alpine  White  Monthly 110 

Alpine  Varieties 110 

Ambrosia 104 

American  Alpine 110 

American  Queen 101 

Austin 88 

Autumnal  Galande 110 

Baltimore  Scarlet 89 

Barnes1  Seedling 102 

Baron  Beman  de  Linnick 104 

BarOett 88 

Belle  Artesienne 105 

Belle  Bordelaise Ill 

Belle  de  Vibert 105 

Berancon 110 

Bicolor 105 

Bijou 105 

Black  Hautbois 112 

Bonte  de  St.  Julien 104 

Boston  Pine 88 

Boule  d'Or 104 

Boyden's  Mammoth 102 

Brighton  Pine 89 

Brooklyn  Scarlet 89 

Brooks'  Prolific 89 

Buffalo 96 

Bunce 91 

Burr's  New  Pine 89 

Bash  Alpine,  Red Ill 

Bush  Alpine,  White Ill 

Byberry 101 

Caperon  Royale 113 

Carnolia  Magna 105 

Caucasian Ill 

Chilian...  91 


Chorlton's  Prolific 89 

Clinton 102 

Col.  Ellsworth 90 

Crimson  Cone 90 

Crimson  Favorite 90 

Cutter's  Seedling 91 

Dagge's  Seedling 102 

Dent  de  Cfieval. 110 

De  MontreuU  a  Fruit  Blanc 110 

De  MontreuU  a  Fruit  Rouge 110 

De  MontreuU  a  Marteau 110 

DeptfordPine 105 

Des  Alpes  a  Fruit  Rouge 110 

Diadem 92 

Dioecious  Hautbois Ill 

Double  Bearing 112 

Downer's  Prolific 91 

Dukede  Malakoff 105 

Durand's  Seedling 91 

Early  Scarlet 92 

Eclipse 92 

Eliza 105 

Elton  Improved 105 

Emily 92 

Emma 105 

Empress  Eugenie 105 

Faulkner's  King 98 

Fillmore 92 

Foreign  Varieties 103 

French's  Seedling 98 

Frissant 110 

Frogmore  Late  Pine 105 

Garibaldi 102 

General  McGlettan 96 

General  Scott 102 

Genesee 102 

Georgia  Mammoth 92 

Germantown 94 

Gilbei  t'a  Large  Brown Ill 

j  Globe  Hautbois 112 

]  Glory  de  Nancy  Alpine 110 

j  Golden  Seeded 93 

!  Golden  Queen 93 

'  Goliath 108 

Great  Eastern 98 

Greon  82 

Groen  Alpine Ill 

Green  Pine  Apple Ill 

Green  Prolific 93 

Green  Wood Ill 

j  Gwontvw 106 


YJa«  uin 


.106 


276 


GENERAL   INDEX. 


Hautbois 32 

Hautbois  Varieties Ill 

Hermaphrodite 112 

Hero 106 

Hillman 106 

Hooker 94 

Hovey 94 

Huntsman's  Montivideo 102 

Ida 94 

Tudia 32 

Iowa 94 

Jenny  Lind 102 

Jucuuda 106 

Kate 106 

Kimberly  Pine 107 

Knox'sTW 106 

La  Constants 107 

Ladies'  Pine 94 

Lady  Finger 95 

La  Mendonaise 110 

Large-flowering 32 

La  Sultanne 107 

Le  Baron 94 

Leed's  Prolific 102 

Lennig's  White 95 

Leon  de  St.  Laumer 107 

Little  Monitor 102 

Long  Fruited  Muscatell 112 

Longworth's  Prolific 95 

Lorenz  Booth 107 

Lucas ..107 

Lucida  Perfects 107 

Marguerite 107 

Mc'Avoy's  Superior 96 

Mead's  Seedling 96 

Metcalf  s  Early. 96 

Monitor 97 

Monstrous  Hautbois 112 

Musky  Hautbois Ill 

Napoleon  HI 107 

Native  Varieties 88 

Newark  Prolific 93 

New  Jersey  Scarlet 97 

Newland 91 

Old  John  Brown 97 

One-Leaved  Alpine 111 

Oscar 108 

Perry's  Seedling 97 

Philadelphia 102 

Pine  Apple 90 

Poitou  Alpine  Monthly 110 

Powdered  Pine. ...  ...  Ill 


Prince's  Frederick  William 108 

Prince's  Seedling 101 

Prolific  Alpine 110 

Prolific  Hautbois 112 

Pyramidal  Chilian 91 

Regent's  Dwarf 112 

Ripawam 98 

Russell's  Prolific 98 

Sabreur 108 

Sacombe 112 

Scarlet  Alpine 110 

Scarlet  Magnate 99 

Scarlet  Runner 99 

Scotch  Runner 99 

Scotch  Runner 90 

Scott's  Seedling 99 

Shaker 88 

Sir  Joseph  Banks 112 

Souvenir  de  Kieff. 108 

Starr's  Seedling 102 

Stinger's  Seedling 99 

Trembly' s  Union 108 

Triomphe  de  Gand 108 

Topsy 108 

Versailles  Alpine  Monthly 110 

Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury. .     . .  1C9 

Victoria 1U9 

Victory 103 

Ville  de  Bois 110 

Vineuse  de  Nantes 109 

Virginian 32 

Walker 103 

Ward's  Favorite 103 

Washington 94 

White  Pineapple 95 

White  Wood  Strawberry Ill 

Williams''  Green  Pine Ill 

Wilson's  Albany 99 

Wood 31-1 11 

Young^s  Seedling 94 

Rejected  Varieties 112 

Table  of  Distances 269 

Thimble  Berry 115-141 

Vaccinium 246 

"        Canadense 247 

"        corymbosum 247 

"         erythrocarpon 232 

"         macrocarpon ....  231 

"         Oxycoccus 231 

"        Pennsylvania 247 

Wire-Worms...  ..  85 


GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT, 

In  the  Market  and.  Family  Grarden. 
BY  PETER  HENDERSON. 


This  is  the  first  work  on  Market  Gardening  ever  published  in  thu 
country.  Its  author  is  well  known  as  a  market  gardener  of  eighteen 
years'  successful  experience.  In  this  work  he  has  recorded  thia 
experience,  and  given,  without  reservation,  the  methods  necessary 
to  the  profitable  culture  of  the  commercial  or 


It  is  a  work  for  which  there  has  long  been  a  demand,  and  one 
which  will  commend  itself,  not  only  to  those  who  grow  vegetables 
for  sale,  but  to  the  cultivator  of  the 

FAMILY  GAKDEN, 

to  whom  it  presents  methods  quite  different  from  the  old  ones  gen- 
erally practiced.  It  is  an  ORIGINAL  AND  PURELY  AMERICAN  work,  and 
not  made  up,  as  books  on  gardening  too  often  are,  by  quotations 
from  foreign  authors. 

Every  thing  is  made  perfectly  plain,  and  the  subject  treated  in  all 
its  details,  from  the  selection  of  the  soil  to  preparing  the  products 
for  market. 

CONTENTS. 

Men  fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening. 

The  Amount  of  Capital  Hequired,  and 

"Working  Force  per  Acre. 

Profits  of  Market  Gardening. 

Location,  Situation,  and  Laying  Out. 

Soils,  Drainage,  and  Preparation. 

Manures,  Implements. 

Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames. 

Formation  and  Management  of  Hot-beds. 

Forcing  Pits  or  Green-houses. 

Seeds  and  Seed  Raising. 

How,  When,  and  Where  to  Sow  Seeds. 

Transplanting,  Insects. 

Packing  of  Vegetables  for  Shipping. 

Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  Winter. 

Vegetables,  their  Varieties  and  Cultivation. 

In  the  last  chapter,  the  most  valuable  kinds  are  described,  and 
the  culture  proper  to  each  is  given  in  detail. 

Sent   post-paid,   price  $I.5O. 
ORANGE    JULD    &    CO.,    245    Broadway,    New-York. 


VALUABLE  AND   BEAUTIFUL  WORK. 


BY 

JOSIAH  HOOPES,  Westchester,  Pa. 


INCLUDING 


Propagation,  Cultivation,  Description  of  Varieties,  and 
their  Adaptability  to  Different  Situations. 


THIS  is  a  long-needjed  work,  as  in  it  the  present  Btate  of  our  knowledge 
upon  the  cone-bearing  plants,  or  Coniferse  of  the  botanist,  is  posted  up.  Mr. 
Hoopes  is  one  of  those  persons  rarely  met  with — a  practical  cultivator,  and  a 
man  of  science  at  the  same  time.  While  his  work  gives  us  all  the  Couiferse 
arranged  in  the  classification  of  the  botanist,  it  at  the  same  time  treats  of  the 
experience,  not  only  of  the  author,  but  of  American  cultivators  generally, 
with  this  large  and  important  family  of  plants. 

Evergreens  play  so  interesting  a  part,  not  only  in  ornamental  planting,  but 
in  what  may  be  termed  economical  planting,  ({.  «.  hedges,  screens,  wind- 
breaks, etc.,)  that  we  are  sure  a  work  which  treats  of  their  propagation  and 
culture,  describes  in  both  popular  and  scientific  language  the  many  species, 
and,  what  is  of  not  the  least  Importance,  gives  a  list  of  the  tender  and  un- 
reliable ones,  will  be  warmly  welcomed  by  every  lover  of  these  beautiful 
trees. 

Mr.  Hoopes  brings  to  his  work  a  perfect  enthusiasm  for  his  subject,  and 
is  as  free  to  condemn  a  plant  as  if  he  were  not  a  nurseryman.  All  the  latest 
novelties  from  Japan,  the  Northwest,  etc.,  are  noticed,  and  their  success  or 
failure,  both  in  this  country  and  in  England,  is  recorded. 

The  work  is  abundantly  illustrated  with  most  carefully  executed  engrav- 
ings, for  the  greater  part  from  living  specimens. 

We  must  commend  the  conscientious  care  the  author  has  shown  in  striving 
to  arrive  at  the  proper  names ;  and  doubtless  much  of  the  confusion  that  at 
present  exists  in  respect  to  names  among  both  dealers  and  growers,  will  be 
corrected  now  that  they  have  a  standard  work  to  refer  to. 

Not  the  least  interesting  portion  of  the  book  is  an  account  of  the  principal 
collections  of  evergreens  in  the  country. 

The  work  contains  435  pages,  12mo,  on  fine  paper. 

Sent  post-paid.   Price,  $3.00. 

ORANGE    JUDD    &    CO., 

245  Broadway,  New- York  City. 


DARWIN'S    GREAT    WORK. 


THE     VARIA.TIOIST 


ANIMALS  AND  PLANTS 


UNDER     DOMESTICATION. 

BY 

CHARLES     DA.RTWI]Sr,     M.^L.,     BVR  S.,     ETC. 


AUTHORIZED   EDITION. 

H      JSL.      IE"  m3  3?"  .A.  O  33 

BY 

PROFESSOR    ASA     GRAY. 

I3ST    T-WO     -VOLTJIkEIES- 

This  work  treats  of  the  variations  in  our  domestic  animals  and  cultivated 
plants,  discussing  the  circumstances  that  influence  these  variations,  inherit- 
ance of  peculiarities,  results  of  in-and-in  breeding,  crossing,  etc. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  of  the  present  day,  presenting  an 
array  of  facts  that  show  the  most  extraordinary  amount  of  observation  and 
-esearch.  All  the  domestic  animals,  from  horses  and  cattle  to  canary-birds  and 
aoney-bees,  are  discussed,  as  well  as  our  leading  culinary  and  other  plants, 
making  it  a  work  of  the  greatest  interest. 

Its  importance  to  agriculturists,  breeders,  scientific  men,  and  the  general 
reader  will  be  seen  by  its  scope  as  indicated  in  the  following  partial  enumera- 
tion of  its  contents  :  PIGS,  CATTLE,  SHEEP,  GOATS  ;  DOGS  AND  CATS,  HOUSES 
AND  ASSES  ;  DOMESTIC  RABBITS  ;  DOMESTIC  PIGEONS  ;  FOWLS,  DUCKS,  GEESE, 
PEACOCK,  TURKEY,  GUINEA  FOWL,  CANARY-BIRD,  GOLD-PISH;  HIVE-BEES; 
SILK-MOTHS.  CULTIVATED  PLANTS  ;  CEREAL  AND  CULINARY  PLANTS  ;  FRUITS, 
ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  FLOWERS,  BUD  VARIATION.  INHERITANCE,  REVERSION 
OR  ATAVISM,  CROSSING.  ON  THE  GOOD  EFFECTS  OF  CROSSING,  AND  ON  Tea 
EVIL  EFFECTS  OF  CLOSE  INTERBREEDING.  SELECTION.  CAUSES  OF  VARIABII* 
ITY,  LAWS  OF  VARIATION,  ETC.,  ETO. 

Published  in  Two  Volumes  of  nearly  110O  pages. 

FINELY    ILLUSTRATED. 
SENT  POST-PAID,  .........................................  PRICE,  $6.00. 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO., 

245   Broadway,   New-York   City 


A  VALUABLE    BOOK. 

THE  GRAPE  VINE. 

BY  FREDERICK   MOHR, 

DOOTOE      OF      PHILOSOPHY      AND      MEDICINE. 

Translated  from   the   German,    and   accompanied  with    Hints 

on  the  Propagation  and  General  Treatment  of 

American  Varieties. 

BY     H  OH  TIC  OH,  A. 

This  work  is  mainly  devoted  to  the  most  elementary  matters.  It  ex- 
plains the  structure  ana  mode  of  growth  of  the  vine  so  clearly  that  no 
intelligent  person  who  reads  it  need  be  in  doubt  what  to  do  with  his 
vines.  It  has  been  well  translated,  and  a  chapter  on  the  propagation 
of  American  varieties  has  been  substituted  for  the  original  one  on  multi- 
plying the  European  grape.  As  anatomy  is  the  foundation  of  surgery, 
so  is  a  knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  vine  to  the  vine-dresser.  In 
both  cases,  it  is  as  important  to  know  when  and  where  to  cut  and  how. 

CONTENTS: 

Development  and.  Structure  of  the  Grape  Vine* 
The  Node;  The  Branch;  Reasons  for  Pruning;  Pruning. 
Training  on  Trellises;  Summer  Treatment;  Plantations. 
Vines  Trained  along  the  Garden  Walk. 
Trellises  on  Wai  IN  ;  Tree  Trellises. 
Vines  Trained  to  Trellises ;   Bronner's  Method. 
Time  Required  for  Covering  a  Trellis. 
Manuring  the  Vine;  Age  of  Vineyard. 
The  Rising  Sap  in  the  Vine ;   The  Grape  Disease. 
Treatment  of  Vines  Injured  by  Frost. 

Implements ;  Proper  Time  to  Perform  Work  on  the  Vine. 
Constituents  of  the  Vine  and  their  Distribution. 
Propagation  of  the  Vine:  By  Layers;    By  Cuttings;    By 

Grafting;  By  Inarching;  By  Seeds. 
Hybridization. 
American   Varieties  —  General    Management;    Planting; 

Pruning;  Pinching;  Covering  In  Fall. 

SENT   POST-PAID,   PRICE  $1. 
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MY  VINEYARD  AT  LAKEVIEW; 

OR, 

SUCCESSFUL  GEAPE  CULTUEE. 

BY   A  WESTERN   GRAPE   GROWER. 

ILLUSTRATED. 

To  any  one  who  wishes  to  grow  grapes,  whether  a  single  vine  or  a  vine- 
yard, this  book  is  full  of  valuable  teachings.  The  author  gives  not  only  his 
success,  but,  what  is  of  quite  as  much  importance,  his  failure.  It  tells  just 
what  the  beginner  in  grape  culture  wishes  to  know,  with  the  charm  that 
always  attends  the  relation  of  personal  experience. 

It  is  especially  valuable  as  giving  an  account  of  the  processes  actually 
followed  in 

CELEBRATED    GRAPE    REGIONS 

iiv  Western  New-York  and  on  the  shores  and  islands  of  Lake  Erie. 

This  book  is  noticed  by  a  writer  in  the  Horticulturist  for  August  last  as 
follows  :  "  Two  works  very  different  in  character  and  value  have  j.ist  been 
published,  and  seem  to  demand  a  passing  notice.  The  better  and  less  pre- 
tentious of  the  two  is  '  MY  VINEYARD  AT  LAKEVIEW,'  a  charming  little  book 
that  professes  to  give  the  actual  experience  of  a  western  grape  grower,  de- 
tailing not  only  his  successes,  but  his  blunders  and  failures.  It  is  written 
in  a  pleasant  style,  without  any  attempt  at  display,  and  contains  much  ad- 
vice that  will  prove  useful  to  a  beginner — the  more  useful  because  derived 
from  the  experience  of  a  man  who  had  no  leisure  for  fanciful  experiments, 
but  has  been  obliged  to  make  his  vineyard  support  himself  and  his  family." 


Written  in  a  simple  and  attractive  style,  and  relating  the  experience  of  one  who  feft 
Us  way  along  into  the  successful  cultivation  of  a  vineyard  in  Ohio. — Mass.  Ploughman. 

It  is  the  experience  of  a  practical  grape  grower,  and  not  the  theory  of  an  expert- 
menter.— Bath  Daily  Sentinel  and  Times. 

It  has  no  superior  as  an  attractive  narrative  of  country  life. — Hartford  Daily  Post. 

Many  books  have  been  written  on  the  grape,  but  this  is  the  only  work  that  gives  an 
account  of  grape  growing  as  actually  practiced  at  the  successful  vineyards  in  the  grape 
region  of  the  West,  and  will  be  welcomed  by  a  large  class  of  reader's.— New-Bedford 
Standard. 

This  little  yolume  contains,  in  an  attractive  form,  and  in  clear  and  concise  language, 
just  the  information  needed  to  enable  any  one  to  become  thoroughly  posted  up  in  tiiia 
delightful  and  profitable  branch  of  horticulture  —  Vermont  Farmer. 

Just  the  manual  for  a  beginner,  by  one  who  says  "  he  is  well  rewarded  in  the  success 
attained."  Adding,  "It  might  have  been  reached  in  half  the  time,  had  I  possessed  the 
knowledge  imparted  to  the  reader  of  this  book.'  -Boston  Cultivator. 

Sent  Post-paid       Price,  $1.5O. 
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VALUABLE  AND   BEAUTIFUL  WORK. 


HARRIS' 

Insects   Injurious   to  Vegetation. 

BY  THE  LATK 

THADDEUS  WILLIAM  HARRIS,  M.D. 

A  New  Edition,  enlarged  and  improved,  with  additions  from  the  author1! 
manuscripts  and  original  notes. 
Illustrated  by  engravings  drawn  from  nature  under  the  supervision  of 

IPftOF'KSSOR     AJ3-ASSIZ. 

Edited  by  CHARLES  L.  FLINT, 
Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 


CHAPTER    I. 

INTRODUCTION.—  Insects  Denned—  Brain  and  Nerves—  Air-Pipes  and  Breath- 
Ing-Holes—Heart  and  Blood—  Metamorphoses  or  Transformations- 
Classification  ;  Orders  and  Groups. 

CHAPTER    II. 

COLEOPTERA.—  Beetles—  Scarabaeians—  Ground-Beetles-Tree-Beetles-Cock- 
chafers— Flower.  Stag,  Spring,  Timber,  Capricorn,  Leaf-mining,  and  Tor- 
toise Beetles  —  Chrysomelians—  Cantharides. 

CHAPTER    III. 

ORTHOPTERA.—  Earwigs  —  Cockroaches--  Soothsayers—  Walking-sticks  or 
Spectres—  Mole,  Field,  Climbing,  and  Wingless  Crickets-Grasshoppers— 

CHAPTER    IV. 

HEMIPTERA.—  Bugs—  Squash-Bug—  Clinch-Bug—  Plant  Bugs—  Harvest  Flies— 
Tree-Hoppers—  Vine-Hoppers—  Plant-Lice—  American  Blight—  Bark-Lice. 

CHAPTER    V. 

LEPI  DO  PTE  R  A  .  —Caterpillars  —  Butterflies  —  Skippers  —  Hawk-Moths—  Mge- 
rians  or  Boring^  Caterpillars—  Moths—  Cut-Worms—  Span-  Worms—  Leaf- 
Boilers—  Fruit,  Bee,  Corn,  Clothes,  and  Feather-Winged  Moths. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

HYMENOPTERA  —  Stingers  and  Piercers—  Saw-Flies  and  Slugs—  Elm,  Fir, 
and  Vine  Saw-Fly  —  Rose-Bush  and  Pear-Tree  Slugs  —  Horn-Tailed 
Wood-Wasps—  Gail-Flies—  Barley  Insect  and  Joint  Worm. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

DIPTERA.—  Gnats   and   Flies—  Maggots    and   their    Transformations—  Gail 
Gnats—  Hessian,  Wheat,  and  Radish  Flies—  Two-Winged  Gail-Flies,  anrf 
Fruit-Flies. 
ftPPEN  DIX.—  The  Army  Worm. 

Published  in  two  beautiful  editions  ;  one  plain,  with  steel  engravings,  8vo 
extra  cloth,  $4  ;  the  other  in  extra  cloth,  beveled  boards,  red  edges,  engrav 
Ings  colored  with  great  accuracy,  $6. 
Sent  post-paid  on  receipt  of  price. 

ORANGE  JUDD  &  CO., 

245  Broadway,  New-  York  City 


THE   AMERICAN 


FOR    1871. 


.A. 

WANTED   BY   EVERY  BODY. 


Tms  valuable  Year  Book  has  now  reached  its  fifth  number. 
In  its  general  features  it  follows  the  plan  of  the  three  numbers 
that  have  preceded  it. 

It  contains,  besides  the  review  of  the  year,  a  record  of  inven- 
tions affecting  Agriculture  ;  Progress  in  Dairy  Matters,  by  Gard- 
ner B.  Weeks ;  Progress  in  Agricultural  Education ;  Veterinary 
Matters,  by  Dr.  John  Busteed ;  Leguminous  Forage-Plants  ;  Mut- 
ton-Sheep in  America;  Progress  in  Fish  Culture,  by  William 
Clift;  The  Pneumatic  Sewage  System,  by  Dr.  F.  Coar;  Poultry 
Raised  for  Flesh;  Agricultural  Books  for  the  Tear;  Farmers 
Directory,  giving  names  of  manufacturers  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments, dealers  in  seeds,  stock,  etc. 


BEAUTIFULLY   ILLUSTRATED. 

Sent  Post-paid.   Price,  Fancy  Paper  Covers,  50  Cents; 
Cloth,  15  Cents. 


Either  of  these  Annuals  for  the  four  preceding  years  may  be 
had  at  the  same  prices. 

ORANG-E  JTTDD  &  CO., 

245  Broadway,   New-Yorlc. 


THE    AMERICAN 

Horticultural  Annual 

TOR    1871. 


BOOK! 

FOR   EVERY   HOME. 


THE  fifth  number  of  this  beautiful  serial  is  now  ready.  It 
presents  reports  upon  the  various  departments  of  Horticulture. 
Dr.  J.  A.  Warder  writes  upon  Apples;  P.  Barry  gives  an  ac- 
count of  New  Pears ;  Charles  Downing  and  F.  R.  Elliott  treat  of 
New  Peaches ;  A.  S.  Fuller  gives  a  full  account  of  Small  Fruits ; 
C.  L.  Allen  has  an  article  on  New  Bulbs  ;  Peter  Henderson  tells 
of  the  New  Bedding  and  other  Plants.  Besides  these,  there  aro 
valuable  treatises,  among  which  are  those  on  Orange  Culture  in 
Florida,  by  Samuel  B.  Parsons  ;  Raising  Nursery-Trees  from 
Seed,  by  Thomas  Meehan  ;  Dwarf  Evergreens,  by  Josiah  Hoopes ; 
various  tables,  summaries,  and  other  useful  matter  by  the  editor, 
including  a  list  of  the  principal  seedsmen,  nurserymen,  and 
florists  in  the  United  States. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  ELEGANT  ENGRAVIN6S. 

Sent   Po§t-paid.      Price,    Fancy   Paper   C'ovcr§, 
50   Cents;    Cloth,    ?5    Cents. 


Either  of  these  Annuals  for  the  four  preceding  years  may 
be  had  at  the  same  prices. 

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AMERICAN     POMOLOGY. 
APPLES. 

By  Doct.  JOHN    A.  TV-AJRDEIfc, 

PRESIDENT  OHIO  POJfOLOOIOAL  SOCIETY;  YIOB-PBXSXDXHT  AMBRIOAK  POXOLOOIOA1 
SOCIETY. 

993    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Tliis  volume  has  about  750  pages,  the  first  375  of  which  are  de 
roted  to  the  discussion  of  the  general  subjects  of  propagation,  nur- 
sery culture,  selection  and  planting,  cultivation  of  orchards,  care  of 
fruit,  insects,  and  the  like ;  the  remainder  is  occupied  with  descrip- 
tions of  apples.  With  the  richness  of  material  at  hand,  the  trouble 
was  to  decide  what  to  leave  out.  It  will  be  found  that  while  the 
old  and  standard  varieties  are  not  neglected,  the  new  and  promising 
sorts,  especially  those  of  the  South  and  West,  have  prominence. 
A  list  of  selections  for  different  localities  by  eminent  orchardists  ia 
a  valuable  portion  of  the  volume,  while  the  Analytical  Index  01 
Catalogue  JZaisonnS,  as  the  French  would  say,  is  the  most  extended 
American  fruit  list  ever  published,  and  gives  evidence  of  a  fearful 
amount  of  labor. 

CONTENTS, 

Chapter  I—INTRODUCTORY. 

Chapter         II — HISTORY  OF  THE   APPLE. 

Chapter       III — PROPAGATION. 

Buds  and  Cuttings— Grafting— Budding— The  Nursery. 

Chapter       IV.— DWARFING. 

Chapter         V — DISEASES. 

Chapter       VI.— THE    SITE    FOR    AN    ORCHARD. 

Chapter     VII.— PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  FOR  AN  ORCHARD. 

Chapter   VHI.— SELECTION  AND   PLANTING. 

Chapter       IX.— CULTURE,  Etc. 

Chapter         X.— PHILOSOPHY   OF   PRUNING. 

Chapter       XI.— THINNING. 

Chapter     XII— RIPENING  AND  PRESERVING   FRUITS. 

Chapter  XIII  and  XIV— INSECTS. 

Chapter     XV— CHARACTERS      OF      FRUITS      AND      THEIR 
VALUE— TERMS   USED. 

Chapter   XVI— CLASSIFICATION. 

Necessity  for— Basis  of— Characters— Shape— Its  Regu- 
larity—Flavor—Color—Their several  Values,  etc.,  De 
scription  of  Apples. 

Chapter XVH— FRUIT   LISTS— CATALOGUE   AND  INDEX  OF 
FRUITS. 

Sent  Post-Paid,  Price  $3,00. 

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TELE 


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ANDEEW  S.  FULLEE. 


NEW     AND      ENLARGED      EDITION. 


THE    STANDARD    WORK 

ON    THE    CULTIVATION    OF    THE    HARDY    GRAPE, 

AS   IT   NOT    ONLY   DISCUSSES   PRINCIPLES, 

BUT 

ILLUSTRATES    PRACTICE. 

HJyery  thing    is  made   perfectly  plain,  and   its   teach- 
ings   may    be    followed    upon 

ONE     VINE     OR    A    VINEYARD. 


The  following  are  some  of  the  topics  that  are  treated , 

GROWING  NEW  VARIETIES  FROM  SEED. 

PROPAGATION  BY  SINGLE  BUDS  OR  EYES. 

PROPAGATING  HOUSES  AND  THEIR  MANAGEMENT  FOLLY  DESCRIBED. 

How  TO  GROW. 

CUTTINGS  IN  OPEN  AIR,  AND  HOW  TO  MAKE  LAYERS. 

GRAFTING  THE  GRAPE — A  SIMPLE  AND  SUCCESSFUL  METHOD. 

HYBRIDIZING  AND  CROSSING — MODE  OF  OPERATION. 

SOIL  AND  SITUATION — PLANTING  AND  CULTIVATION. 

PRUNING,  TRAINING,  AND  TRELLISES — ALL  THE  SYSTEMS  EXPLAINED. 

GARDEN  CULTURE — How  TO  GROW  VINES  IN  A  DOOR- YARD. 

INSECTS,  MILDEW,  SUN-SCALD,  AND  OTHER  TROUBLES. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  VALUABLE  AM>  THE  DISCARDED  VARIETIES. 


Sent  post-paid.     Price  $1.50. 
Orange    Judd    <S&    Co.,    245    Broadway. 


3<g  I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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